nonintuitive
Against natural expectation
Nonintuitive describes something that doesn't match what you'd naturally expect or guess.
A nonintuitive interface requires learning rather than exploration.
A nonintuitive result contradicts common sense: It's nonintuitive that adding lanes increases traffic congestion.
The word often appears in technical contexts where correct answers defy ordinary reasoning.
Seemingly absurd yet true
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- surprisingCausing mild shock
- contraryOpposed in nature
- inverseOpposite in position
backwards · illogical · irrational · contradictory · anomalous · unconventional · unorthodox · against the grain
Impossible to understand
- bewilderingCausing utter confusion
- perplexingCausing mental confusion
- puzzlingCausing confusion or bewilderment
- mystifyingCausing complete confusion
disorienting · disconcerting · befuddling · confounding · vexing · bamboozling · muddling · misleading
Not easily understood
- murkyDark and unclear
- obscureUnknown to most
- impenetrableImpossible to pass through
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
unfathomable · incomprehensible · cryptic · abstruse · recondite · arcane · dense · impervious
Understood by few
- hermeticImpenetrably closed off
- occultConcealed from view
- cabalisticRelating to secret mysticism
- gnosticRelating to mystical insight
specialized · technical · niche · insider · rarefied · elite · initiated · privileged
Excessively complex or twisted
- intricateElaborately detailed, many parts
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- multifacetedHaving many dimensions
layered · nuanced · complicated · elaborate · involuted · byzantine · serpentine · nonlinear
Based on hypothesis, untested
- conceptualOf or relating to ideas
- philosophicalConcerned with fundamental truths
- metaphysicalBeyond the material realm
- a prioriIndependent of experience
speculative · notional · ideational · intellectual · cerebral · formal · mathematical · axiomatic
paradoxical
Seemingly absurd yet true
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- surprisingCausing mild shock
- contraryOpposed in nature
inverse · backwards · illogical · irrational · contradictory · anomalous · unconventional · unorthodox · against the grain · topsy-turvy
baffling
Impossible to understand
- bewilderingCausing utter confusion
- perplexingCausing mental confusion
- puzzlingCausing confusion or bewilderment
mystifying · disorienting · disconcerting · befuddling · confounding · vexing · bamboozling · muddling · misleading · ambiguous
unclear
Not easily understood
- murkyDark and unclear
- obscureUnknown to most
- impenetrableImpossible to pass through
inscrutable · unfathomable · incomprehensible · cryptic · abstruse · recondite · arcane · dense · impervious · indecipherable
arcane
Understood by few
- hermeticImpenetrably closed off
- occultConcealed from view
- cabalisticRelating to secret mysticism
gnostic · specialized · technical · niche · insider · rarefied · elite · initiated · privileged
convoluted
Excessively complex or twisted
- intricateElaborately detailed, many parts
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
multifaceted · layered · nuanced · complicated · elaborate · involuted · byzantine · serpentine · nonlinear · recursive
theoretical
Based on hypothesis, untested
- conceptualOf or relating to ideas
- philosophicalConcerned with fundamental truths
- metaphysicalBeyond the material realm
a priori · speculative · notional · ideational · intellectual · cerebral · formal · mathematical · axiomatic · deductive
nonintuitiveintuitive
Known without reasoning
self-evident · obvious · self-explanatory · instinctive · natural
intuition, intuitive, intuit, intuitively, intuits, intuitiveness, intuited, counterintuitive, intuitionism