かえって・却って・反ってkaette[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. adverbon the contrary; rather; instead; all the more
   高望たかのぞみをするとかえって損そんをする。↗

   You may go farther and fare worse.

• 1.
  SynonymむしろNeutralFor weighing two things and finding one the better choice, as in 「むしろ歩いた方が早い」; where 却って stresses an outcome contrary to expectation, 寧ろ compares options.
• 2.
  Related逆にぎゃくにNeutralCommon in speech: 'conversely', 'the other way round'. Its focus is a reversed stance or direction, though it can also mark a result opposite to what was expected.

Use 「却って」 when a result runs counter to what one would expect, as in 「却って悪化した」. Use 「寧ろ」 to prefer one of two compared options, and 「逆に」 when a stance or direction simply flips.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 普通ふつうの推論すいろんから予測よそくされる展開てんかいや結果けっかとは反対はんたいのさま。