Synonyms for paradox
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Enigma — an unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth
2. Contradiction — A person or thing having contradictory properties
Other
ambiguity, absurdity, reverse psychology, shocker informal, antinomy
Definitions
- n. 1
A person or thing having contradictory properties.
He is a paradox; you would not expect him in that political party.
- n. 2
An unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth.
Related words
Forms
- Plural
- paradoxes → enigmas, riddles, quandaries, mysteries…
Example sentences
- mystery The mystery story is so hard that I don't like it.
- riddle How much we still have to pay for peace is a riddle.
- enigma It's a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
- quandary Tom was in a quandary about who to vote for in the election.
- contradiction Contradiction is always a sign of recognition.
- inconsistency Many languages have a lot of inconsistency.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| paradox | rising | |
| mystery | rising | |
| riddle | rising | |
| enigma | rising | |
| quandary | rising | |
| contradiction | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- koan
- 6 letters
- puzzle2, riddle2, enigma3, aporia
- 7 letters
- mystery3, shocker2
- 8 letters
- quandary3, antinomy4
- 9 letters
- ambiguity5, absurdity4
- 13 letters
- contradiction4, inconsistency5, juxtaposition5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (puzzle2 = 2 syllables).