When somebody says the opposite of what they really mean?

“Contra-” usually means “against,” and to contradict is to go against or say the opposite of what someone else is doing or saying. Sometimes to contradict is to frustrate with words, like when one person says “The sky is blue” and another says “No, it’s azure.”

When you say the opposite of what you want?

Antiphrasis is the rhetorical device of saying the opposite of what is actually meant in such a way that it is obvious what the true intention is. Some authors treat and use antiphrasis just as irony, euphemism or litotes.

What do you call someone who does the opposite of what they say?

This sounds like a contradictory person: asserting the contrary or opposite; contradicting; inconsistent; logically opposite: contradictory statements. Hypocrite would be a good word if the man in question is malicious.

Why do people do opposite?

Overall, reverse psychology works primarily because when people feel pressured to act a certain way, they try to do the opposite in order to assert their autonomy and increase their sense of control. Furthermore, in certain situations, reverse psychology can also work for additional reasons, such as spite for others.

What do you call someone who shows no empathy?

Two psychological terms particularly associated with a lack of empathy are sociopathy and psychopathy. Psychopathy, which comes from the Greek roots psykhe, which refers to the mind, and pathos, which means suffering, has shifted in popular meaning over the years, but it has always been associated with mind sickness.

What is it called when someone says one thing but does another?

hypocrite Add to list Share. A hypocrite preaches one thing, and does another. The word hypocrite is rooted in the Greek word hypokrites, which means “stage actor, pretender, dissembler.” So think of a hypocrite as a person who pretends to be a certain way, but really acts and believes the total opposite.