conundrum
Americannoun
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conundrums
plural
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a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words, as What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper.
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anything that puzzles.
noun
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a riddle, esp one whose answer makes a play on words
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a puzzling question or problem
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of conundrum
First recorded in 1590–1600; pseudo-Latin word of obscure origin
Explanation
The tricky word conundrum is used to describe a riddle or puzzle, sometimes including a play on words or pun. One of the most famous conundrums is the riddle of the Sphinx, famously in the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Oedipus encounters the Sphinx, a mythical beast, who asks him, "What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?" The answer is "A person": crawling as a child, walking as an adult, and using a cane in old age. The scary thing is that if the Sphinx asked you the riddle and you didn't know, she'd eat you!
Vocabulary lists containing conundrum
100 Top "SAT" Words
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In a Pickle: Words for When You're in Trouble
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This clever tale is most satisfying when Ms. McTiernan brings that painful conundrum to life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
He and his wife, Mikaela Schifferle, were trying to answer a modern conundrum: Whose name does a family carry?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The conundrum over how to manage the early release of prisoners is an acute example of the tricky political decision-making that inevitably comes with power.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Many parents are in a conundrum: They need their jobs to pay the bills, but they also need trustworthy childcare; without the latter, they may not be able to work those jobs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
I stumbled through my grasshopper conundrum while he stared at me as if he was having trouble placing me.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Their work is a cultural bridge much like Ashitaka’s effort to bring the worlds of beasts and men together for a common cause, depicting what Miyazaki sees as one of humanism’s central conundrums.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
A trio of comedies about lost, affluent white men grapples with the manly conundrums of our times—and paints a troubled picture of modern men.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
While there are positive signs, it is obvious some conundrums remain the same for Djokovic.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2026
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, David Plotz, and special guest Stephen Colbert answer listeners’ conundrums of all kinds: the meaningful, the trivial, and the delightfully absurd.
From Slate ● Dec. 26, 2025
Despite all the days’ mysteries, riddles, and conundrums, the realization that, in Simon, she had found a true friend, was enough to cheer Penelope to the core.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
