Vocabulary
Paradox: meaning and examples explained
Have you ever heard that spending money can save money? That sounds impossible, but it is true.
A paradox sounds like a mistake at first, but it reveals an underlying truth when you look closer.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
paradox PAIR-uh-dahks
The short answer
A paradox is a situation or statement that seems impossible because it combines opposite truths.
This paradox appears when more learning reveals how much remains unknown.
Why it works: Learning can reveal further gaps in your knowledge.
3 more examples
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Thinking about how learning changes what you know
He described the paradox that the more he learned, the less certain he felt.
The two ideas seem to oppose each other, yet both may be true.
Not this:He made a big
paradoxwhen he calculated the wrong tax total. What changes: People think you meant a calculation error instead of a paradox. -
Discussing complex user interfaces
We face an apparent paradox in modern software design.
Adding features can make a program feel simpler to use.
Not this:We face an apparent
paradoxalproblem today. What changes: The listener hears an invented word form. -
Meeting about product strategy
The team tried to resolve the paradox before launching the product.
Resolve is a common verb partner for this noun.
Not this:The team tried to
do the paradoxbefore launching the product. What changes: Do is not a natural verb partner for paradox.
Quick check
Which situation describes a true paradox?
Answer: The more I learn, the more I see how much I do not know.
Show the answer
Answer: The more I learn, the more I see how much I do not know.
The two ideas seem to clash, yet learning can reveal how much remains unknown.
Read the full guide
Less is more sounds impossible, yet this apparent clash may be true.
Opposite ideas with a truth
The problem: I thought every false or opposite statement was a paradox.
Less choice can make choosing easier. A paradox may seem false but hold a truth. A false claim is only an error.
| Situation | What it really is | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You say two plus two equals five. | A mistake | It is simply false arithmetic. |
| The more you learn, the less you know. | A paradox | Knowledge reveals how much remains unknown. |
| The bus arrived at four instead of three. | A delay | It is a normal schedule change. |
Your turn
Which sentence describes a true paradox instead of an error?
Answer: The more I learn, the more I see how much I do not know.
Show the answer
Answer: The more I learn, the more I see how much I do not know.
Learning more can reveal more gaps in your knowledge, so the ideas seem to clash while both remain possible.
Saying paradox and paradoxical
The problem: I put the strongest beat in the wrong place when I say paradoxical.
Say the noun with the first beat strongest: PA-ra-dox. In paradoxical, move the strongest beat to DOX.
Hit the first beat hard: PA-ra-dox.
This whole puzzle is a PA-ra-dox.
Hit the third beat: pa-ra-DOX-i-cal.
We got a pa-ra-DOX-i-cal result.
Your turn
Which part sounds strongest in paradoxical?
Answer: On the third beat: pa-ra-DOX-i-cal
Show the answer
Answer: On the third beat: pa-ra-DOX-i-cal
DOX is the strongest beat in pa-ra-DOX-i-cal.
Using paradoxical before a noun
The problem: I use the noun paradox where the adjective paradoxical is needed.
Use paradoxical to describe a result or event. Paradox result sounds unnatural.
-
Not this:
We ended up in a paradox situation.Say: We ended up in a paradoxical situation.
Use the adjective form paradoxical to describe a following noun.
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The fairness rule produced a paradoxical effect: it made the process less fair.
Why it works: The intended result and the actual effect seem to oppose each other.
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It seems paradoxical, but resting more helped her score higher.
Why it works: Use the adjective after linking verbs like seems or feels.
Your turn
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the word.
Answer: The study showed a paradoxical outcome where cheap items sold faster than discounted ones.
Show the answer
Answer: paradoxical
Use the adjective paradoxical before the noun outcome.
Paradox or oxymoron
The problem: I call every pair of opposite words a paradox.
An oxymoron joins opposite words, as in deafening silence. A paradox is a full idea or event that seems to clash yet may be true.
A tiny two-word phrase with contrasting terms.
living dead, open secret
A full sentence or situation that seems impossible but is true.
If I know one thing, it is that I know nothing.
Your turn
Which example is an oxymoron instead of a paradox?
Answer: deafening silence
Show the answer
Answer: deafening silence
A two-word pairing like deafening silence is an oxymoron, while the others are full situations.
Before you go
Question 1 of 1
Your team added more tools, but staff completed less work. How can you describe the result?
Reviewing a busy company project
Answer: The result is paradoxical: more tools led to less work.
Show the answer
Answer: The result is paradoxical: more tools led to less work.
More tools would seem likely to support more work, so the opposite result appears paradoxical.
Remember this
A paradox is not a mistake. Its apparent clash may reveal a truth.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Paradox: meaning and examples explained"
What does paradox mean?
A paradox is a statement or situation that seems to contradict itself but may reveal a reasonable or useful truth after you think about it.
Spending more on repairs now may save money later.
The only constant is change.
Is every contradiction a paradox?
No. A paradox contains an apparent conflict that may make sense after closer examination. A direct contradiction simply states incompatible claims.
The sign says the door is open and closed at the same time.
More choice can make a decision harder.
Can a paradox describe a situation as well as a statement?
Yes. Paradox can name a statement, person, or situation containing features that seem opposed but can both be true.
The extra choices made the decision harder.
What adjective comes from paradox?
The adjective is paradoxical. Use it to describe a statement, result, or situation that appears self-contradictory but may still make sense.
The traveler arrived sooner by taking a slower route.
The policy had a paradoxical result.
Where is the stress in paradox and paradoxical?
Stress the first syllable in paradox. In paradoxical, the strongest beat moves to the syllable dox.
That result is a paradox.
The outcome seems paradoxical.
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