riddle

Meaning

Noun

1. A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an intellectual nature.
2. An ancient verbal, poetic, or literary form, in which, rather than a rhyme scheme, there are parallel opposing expressions with a hidden meaning.

Verb

1. To speak ambiguously or enigmatically.
2. To solve, answer, or explicate a riddle or question.

Verb

1. To put something through a riddle or sieve; to sieve; to sift.
2. To fill with holes like a riddle.
3. To fill or spread throughout; to pervade (with something destructive or weakening).

Verb

To plait.

Synonyms

puzzle

enigma

conundrum

mystery

screen

problem

sift

sieve

allegory

poser

question

❓

fable

brain-teaser

quiz

parable

penetrate

fairy tale

permeate

guess

trouble

sifter

puzzler

pervade

diffuse

engima

make holes

imbue

interpenetrate

puncture

story

jigsaw puzzle

🧩

bore

lance

matter

mesh

mix up

muddle

mystify

obscure

paradox

perplex

predict

prick

prong

prophesy

punch

👊

puzzlement

query

quibble

rack

roil

secret

㊙️

seive

separate

shake

shake up

solve

spear

stave

stimulate

sting

stir

strain

stump

tale

tap

tell

throw

thrust

tickler

be under fire

topic

unsettle

vet

wattle

why

wimble

winnow

brain teaser

fire at

hidden meaning

sieve out

stave in

profound secret

hard problem

screening

terebrate

coarse screening

coarse mesh

cribble raking

rough sizing

scalper screen

abash

metaphoric speech

anomaly

ask

beat

bemuse

bewilder

bolt

bolter

brainteaser

broach

charade

churn

comparison

confuse

contradiction

crux

dazzle

discombobulate

discomfit

disconcert

disorient

dispute

dredge

drill

example

excite

figurative

filter out

fuddle

hole

🕳️

hurdle

illustration

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹɪdəl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: redel

Inherited from Old English: rǣdels

Cognate with Old English: rǣdan

Inherited from Middle English: riddil

Inherited from Old English: hriddel

Cognate with German: Reiter

Cognate with Old Norse: hreinn

Cognate with Old High German: hreini

Cognate with Gothic: 𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃

In summary

From Middle English redel, redels, from Old English rǣdels, rǣdelse (“counsel, opinion, imagination, riddle”), from Proto-West Germanic *rādislī (“counsel, conjecture”). Analyzable as rede (“advice”) + -le. Akin to Old English rǣdan (“to read, advise, interpret”).