What does "conundrum" mean?
A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.
Conundrum
/kəˈnʌn.dɹəm/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.
- Grammar: conundrum is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: enigma, riddle, anagram, baffle.
- Useful contrasts: answer, clarity, clear answer.
- Usage evidence: The question of free will is a prickly conundrum to religion.
How to use "conundrum"
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Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "conundrum" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "conundrum" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.
"“Why should I understand that, or anything else?” asked the girl. “Don’t bother my head by asking conundrums, I beg of you. Just let me discover myself in my own way.”"
- 2 a difficult problem wordnet
- 3 A difficult choice or decision that must be made.
"2004, Martha Stewart, statement read before being sentenced to five months in prison And while I am more concerned about the well-being of others than for myself, more hurt for them and for their losses than for my own, more worried for their futures than for the future of Martha Stewart the person, you are faced with a conundrum, a problem of monumental, to me, proportions."
Example
"The question of free will is a prickly conundrum to religion."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "conundrum"?
Common synonyms include: enigma, riddle, anagram, baffle, baffles, blivet.
How do you use "conundrum" in a sentence?
The question of free will is a prickly conundrum to religion.
How do you pronounce "conundrum"?
Pronounced /kəˈnʌn.dɹəm/.
Etymology
A word of unknown origin with several variants, gaining popularity for its burlesque imitation of scholastic Latin, as hocus-pocus or panjandrum. If there is more to its origin than a nonce coinage, Anatoly Liberman suggests the best theory is that connecting it with the Conimbricenses, 16th c. scholastic commentaries on Aristotle by the Jesuits of Coimbra which indulge heavily in arguments relying on multiple significations of words.