Standard Lemma guide

paradoxically

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌpaɹəˈdɒksɪkli/
  • US: /ˌpɛɹəˈdɑksɪkli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P EH2 R AH0 D AA1 K S AH0 K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: P EH2 R AH0 D AA1 K S AH0 K AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a paradoxical manner; so as to create a paradox.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The proliferation of labor-saving devices has not given us more leisure time, paradoxically.
  • If there exists a non-empty set of uninteresting natural numbers, there must be a smallest uninteresting number, but this number is paradoxically interesting because it is the smallest uninteresting number.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in a paradoxical manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • paradoxically, ice ages seem to occur when the sun gets hotter

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English paradoxical Middle English -ly English -ly English paradoxically From paradoxical + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: paradoxalment — in a paradoxical manner
  • Czech: paradoxně — in a paradoxical manner
  • Esperanto: paradokse — in a paradoxical manner
  • French: paradoxalement — in a paradoxical manner
  • Georgian: პარადოქსულად (ṗaradoksulad) — in a paradoxical manner
  • German: paradoxerweise — in a paradoxical manner
  • Italian: paradossalmente — in a paradoxical manner
  • Polish: paradoksalnie — in a paradoxical manner
  • Portuguese: paradoxalmente — in a paradoxical manner
  • Russian: парадокса́льно (paradoksálʹno) — in a paradoxical manner
  • Spanish: paradójicamente — in a paradoxical manner