riddle
1[ rid-l ]
/ ˈrɪd l /
noun
a question or statement so framed as to exercise one's ingenuity in answering it or discovering its meaning; conundrum.
a puzzling question, problem, or matter.
a puzzling thing or person.
any enigmatic or dark saying or speech.
verb (used without object), rid·dled, rid·dling.
to propound riddles; speak enigmatically.
RELATED CONTENT
The Original Memes (Before Memes)The word meme, coined in 1976 by the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, goes way beyond social-media pixels. Meme captures the concept of “cultural transmission” of ideas in general, where customs and ideas spread from brain to brain. Which means memes have been around longer than Success Kid or Kermit sipping tea. Wildfire ideas have been around as long as humans have—in fact, discovering fire is …
Nearby words
rid, rid of, ridable, riddance, ridden, riddle, riddled, ride, ride down, ride for a fall, ride hellbent for leather
Origin of riddle
1before 1000; Middle English redel, redels (noun), Old English rǣdels(e) counsel, opinion, imagination, riddle (rǣd(an) to counsel, rede + -els(e) deverbal noun suffix) with loss of -s- in ME through confusion with the plural form of the noun suffix -el -le (cf. burial); cognate with German Rätsel, Dutch raadsel
Definition for riddled (2 of 2)
riddle
2[ rid-l ]
/ ˈrɪd l /
verb (used with object), rid·dled, rid·dling.
to pierce with many holes, suggesting those of a sieve: to riddle the target.
to fill or affect with (something undesirable, weakening, etc.): a government riddled with graft.
to impair or refute completely by persistent verbal attacks: to riddle a person's reputation.
to sift through a riddle, as gravel; screen.
noun
a coarse sieve, as one for sifting sand in a foundry.
Origin of riddle
2before 1100; (noun) Middle English riddil, Old English hriddel, variant of hridder, hrīder; cognate with German Reiter; akin to Latin crībrum sieve; (v.) Middle English ridlen to sift, derivative of the noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for riddled
British Dictionary definitions for riddled (1 of 2)
riddle
1/ (ˈrɪdəl) /
noun
a question, puzzle, or verse so phrased that ingenuity is required for elucidation of the answer or meaning; conundrum
a person or thing that puzzles, perplexes, or confuses; enigma
verb
to solve, explain, or interpret (a riddle or riddles)
(intr) to speak in riddles
Derived Formsriddler, noun
Word Origin for riddle
Old English rǣdelle, rǣdelse, from rǣd counsel; related to Old Saxon rādislo, German Rätsel
British Dictionary definitions for riddled (2 of 2)
riddle
2/ (ˈrɪdəl) /
verb (tr)
(usually foll by with) to pierce or perforate with numerous holesriddled with bullets
to damage or impair
to put through a sieve; sift
to fill or pervadethe report was riddled with errors
noun
a sieve, esp a coarse one used for sand, grain, etc
Derived Formsriddler, noun
Word Origin for riddle
Old English hriddel a sieve, variant of hridder; related to Latin crībrum sieve
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012