The paradox of sport is that it bonds as it divides.
Source: tatoeba (51633)
Paradox
/ˈpæ.ɹəˌdɒks/
Synonyms for "paradox" (77 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (16)
Strong matches (23)
Adjective(1 words)
logical incoherence
Related words (38)
Noun(10 words)
no chancenodenodusnonconformabilitynonconformitynonplusoxymoronperplexityphenomenonpons asinorumposerproblempuzzlequandaryself-contradictionteaserthe impossibleunconformabilityunconformityunimaginability
Show 5 more words
Adjective(3 words)
propositional contradictionsudden reversalunexpected result
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abilene, absurdity, ambiguity, ambivalence, antinomy.
- Sentence evidence is available for paradox, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "paradox".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "paradox"
Keep "paradox" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "paradox" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "paradox", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "paradox" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
5 entriesMore specific
5 entriesbarber paradoxliar paradoxparadox of thriftparadox of valueself referential paradox
Collocations
6 entriesliar paradoxlogical paradoxparadox of thriftparadox of valuephilosophical paradoxself referential paradox
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
62 translations across 49 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Arabic
1 entries- مُفَارَقَة noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Armenian
2 entries- հարակարծություն noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- պարադոքս noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Asturian
1 entries- paradoxa noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Azerbaijani
2 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- نامعقوللق noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Belarusian
1 entries- парадо́кс noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Bengali
1 entries- হেঁয়ালি noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Bulgarian
1 entries- парадо́кс noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Catalan
2 entries- paradox noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- paradoxa noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 佯謬 /佯谬 noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- 悖論 /悖论 noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- 矛盾 noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Czech
1 entries- paradox noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Dutch
1 entries- paradox noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Esperanto
1 entries- paradokso noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Finnish
1 entries- paradoksi noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
French
1 entries- paradoxe noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Galician
1 entries- paradoxo noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Georgian
1 entries- პარადოქსი noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
German
2 entries- Paradox noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- Paradoxon noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Greek
1 entries- παραδοξολογία noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Hebrew
1 entries- פרדוקס noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Hindi
1 entries- असत्याभास noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Hungarian
1 entries- paradoxon noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Indonesian
1 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Italian
1 entries- paradosso noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Japanese
3 entries- パラドックス noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- 矛盾 noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- 逆説 noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Kazakh
1 entries- оғаштық noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Korean
2 entries- 역설 noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- 패러독스 noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Latin
1 entries- paradoxum noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Latvian
1 entries- paradokss noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Lithuanian
1 entries- paradoksas noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Macedonian
1 entries- парадо́кс noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Norwegian
1 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Occitan
1 entries- paradòxa noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Polish
1 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Portuguese
1 entries- paradoxo noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Romanian
1 entries- paradox noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Russian
1 entries- парадо́кс noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Scottish Gaelic
2 entries- frith-chosamhlachd noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- paradacs noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- парадокс noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Slovene
2 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- protislovje noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Spanish
1 entries- paradoja noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Swedish
1 entries- paradox noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Tagalog
1 entries- baligho noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Thai
1 entries- ปฏิทรรศน์ noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Turkish
2 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
- çelişki noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Turkmen
1 entries- paradoks noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Ukrainian
1 entries- парадо́кс noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Vietnamese
1 entries- nghịch lý noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Yiddish
1 entries- פּאַראַדאָקס noun (apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true)
Sample sentences
25 total sentences available.
More haste, less speed is a paradox.
Source: tatoeba (73728)
How wonderful that we have met with a paradox. Now we have some hope of making progress.
Source: tatoeba (880015)
This dogma is rather a paradox.
Source: tatoeba (1171196)
Showing 4 of 25 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "paradox"?
Closest matches include abilene, absurdity, ambiguity, ambivalence, antinomy.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "paradox"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.