English Lexicon

Riddle

/ˈrɪd.əl/
nounverbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #4500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A question or statement intentionally phrased to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning.

    "The riddle posed by the teacher challenged the students to think critically."
  2. 2

    A puzzling or confusing situation.

    "The mystery of the missing artifact became a riddle that baffled the entire team."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from Old English 'rædels', meaning 'counsel, conjecture, or enigma', stemming from the Proto-Germanic '*rædils'. Historically linked to the verb 'read' (in its older sense of interpreting or guessing), the word evolved through Middle English to denote a paradoxical question or statement designed to be solved as a puzzle.

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