Word of the day · 10 April 2026

paradox

/ˈpærədɒks/

noun

A statement or situation that seems self-contradictory yet may reveal a truth.

In a sentence

The paradox of choice is that more options can freeze decisions.
His quiet fame was a paradox that puzzled fans.
The desert bloom after flood felt like a paradox of climate.

In an image

Hourglass that seems both empty and full at once in a still life — Illustrative: an hourglass that seems empty and full shows a contradiction that invites thought.

Origin

From Greek paradoxos (contrary to expectation), from para (beyond) and doxa (opinion).

History

Philosophers collected paradoxes to test logic. Everyday speech uses the word for odd pairings: a lonely crowd, a silent roar, growth that shrinks choice. A good paradox invites thought. A fake paradox is only a slogan with a twist.

Nearby words

contradiction · riddle · irony

Two truths that should not fit, until they do.

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