却って【かえって】

The adverb 却って (かえって) means "on the contrary," "rather," or "all the more." It is used when an action or situation produces a result opposite to what was expected or intended. Often, it highlights that something done with good intentions or a certain goal actually backfired or made things worse – or, less commonly, that an unexpected positive outcome occurred.

Contrary to expectation (negative outcome)

The most common use of 却って is to describe situations where an effort to improve something actually makes it worse.

Here, the speaker expected a positive result (feeling better, being understood), but the opposite happened. 却って signals this reversal.

Contrary to expectation (positive outcome)

Less commonly, 却って can indicate that something turned out better than expected despite seemingly negative circumstances.

Usage notes

• 却って is an adverb and typically appears before the verb or adjective that describes the unexpected result.
• It often pairs with expressions of effort or intention (～ようとする, ～のに, ～たら, ～ために) to set up the contrast between what was expected and what actually happened.
• Do not confuse 却って with ぎゃくに逆に (ぎゃくに). While both can mean "on the contrary," ぎゃくに逆に simply states a reversal of direction or position, whereas 却って carries a stronger nuance of an unintended or ironic outcome.