Meaning of "riddle" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD RIDDLE

Old English rǣdelle, rǣdelse, from rǣd counsel; related to Old Saxon rādislo, German Rätsel.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF RIDDLE

riddle  [ˈrɪdəl]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF RIDDLE

Riddle is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb riddle in English.

WHAT DOES RIDDLE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Riddle

A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and conundra, which are questions relying for their effects on punning in either the question or the answer.

Definition of riddle in the English dictionary

The first definition of riddle in the dictionary is a question, puzzle, or verse so phrased that ingenuity is required for elucidation of the answer or meaning; conundrum. Other definition of riddle is a person or thing that puzzles, perplexes, or confuses; enigma. Riddle is also to solve, explain, or interpret.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO RIDDLE

PRESENT

Present

I riddle

you riddle

he/she/it riddles

we riddle

you riddle

they riddle

Present continuous

I am riddling

you are riddling

he/she/it is riddling

we are riddling

you are riddling

they are riddling

Present perfect

I have riddled

you have riddled

he/she/it has riddled

we have riddled

you have riddled

they have riddled

Present perfect continuous

I have been riddling

you have been riddling

he/she/it has been riddling

we have been riddling

you have been riddling

they have been riddling

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I riddled

you riddled

he/she/it riddled

we riddled

you riddled

they riddled

Past continuous

I was riddling

you were riddling

he/she/it was riddling

we were riddling

you were riddling

they were riddling

Past perfect

I had riddled

you had riddled

he/she/it had riddled

we had riddled

you had riddled

they had riddled

Past perfect continuous

I had been riddling

you had been riddling

he/she/it had been riddling

we had been riddling

you had been riddling

they had been riddling

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will riddle

you will riddle

he/she/it will riddle

we will riddle

you will riddle

they will riddle

Future continuous

I will be riddling

you will be riddling

he/she/it will be riddling

we will be riddling

you will be riddling

they will be riddling

Future perfect

I will have riddled

you will have riddled

he/she/it will have riddled

we will have riddled

you will have riddled

they will have riddled

Future perfect continuous

I will have been riddling

you will have been riddling

he/she/it will have been riddling

we will have been riddling

you will have been riddling

they will have been riddling

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would riddle

you would riddle

he/she/it would riddle

we would riddle

you would riddle

they would riddle

Conditional continuous

I would be riddling

you would be riddling

he/she/it would be riddling

we would be riddling

you would be riddling

they would be riddling

Conditional perfect

I would have riddle

you would have riddle

he/she/it would have riddle

we would have riddle

you would have riddle

they would have riddle

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been riddling

you would have been riddling

he/she/it would have been riddling

we would have been riddling

you would have been riddling

they would have been riddling

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you riddle
we let´s riddle
you riddle

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to riddle

Past participle

riddled

Present Participle

riddling

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «RIDDLE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «riddle» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of riddle

beset · bolt · brain-teaser · Chinese puzzle · conundrum · corrupt · enigma · fill · filter · honeycomb · imbue · impair · infest · mar · mystery · overrun · pepper · perforate · permeate · pervade · pierce · plague · poser · problem · puncture · puzzle · question · rebus · saturate · screen · secret · sieve · sift · spoil · strain · strainer · take over · teaser · winnow

TRANSLATION OF RIDDLE

Find out the translation of riddle to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of riddle from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «riddle» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 谜语
• Translator English - Spanish: acertijo
• English: riddle
• Translator English - Hindi: पहेली
• Translator English - Arabic: لغز
• Translator English - Russian: загадка
• Translator English - Portuguese: charada
• Translator English - Bengali: হেঁয়ালি
• Translator English - French: devinette
• Translator English - Malay: Teka-teki
• Translator English - German: Rätsel
• Translator English - Japanese: なぞなぞ
• Translator English - Korean: 수수께끼
• Translator English - Javanese: Riddle
• Translator English - Vietnamese: câu đố
• Translator English - Tamil: புதிர்
• Translator English - Marathi: कोडे
• Translator English - Turkish: bilmece
• Translator English - Italian: indovinello
• Translator English - Polish: zagadka
• Translator English - Ukrainian: загадка
• Translator English - Romanian: ghicitoare
• Translator English - Greek: αίνιγμα
• Translator English - Afrikaans: raaisel
• Translator English - Swedish: gåta
• Translator English - Norwegian: gåte

6 QUOTES WITH «RIDDLE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word riddle.

1

Gregory Bateson

A major difficulty is that the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx is partly a product of the answers that we already have given to the riddle in its various forms.

2

James Brolin

I was raised in a family where no one had a serious bone in their body and every answer was a riddle, a joke, or a prank.

3

Frank Carlucci

Of course, China is a key to the North Korea if we're going to solve that riddle, but they could also be helpful on Iraq, which is why it's important that we maintain a constructive dialogue with China.

4

Harry Emerson Fosdick

Every human life involves an unfathomable mystery, for man is the riddle of the universe, and the riddle of man in his endowment with personal capacities.

5

Karl Kraus

A writer is someone who can make a riddle out of an answer.

6

Sarah Jessica Parker

It's like the riddle of the Sphinx... why are there so many great unmarried women, and no great unmarried men?

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «RIDDLE»

Discover the use of riddle in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to riddle and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Biggest Riddle Book in the World

A collection of riddles on a wide range of topics for jokesters of all ages.

Joseph Rosenbloom, 1976

Einstein's Riddle: 50 Riddles, Puzzles, and Conundrums to ...

Riddles, paradoxes, and conundrums have been confusing and confounding people since at least the time of the Ancient Greeks.

Jeremy Stangroom, 2009

Tell Me a Riddle

This collection of four stories, "I Stand Here Ironing," "Hey Sailor, what Ship?," "O Yes," and "Tell me a Riddle," had become an American classic.

Tillie Olsen, Deborah Silverton Rosenfelt, 1995

The Monk and the Riddle: The Art of Creating a Life While ...

The book's timeless advice-to make work pay not just in cash, but in experience, satisfaction, and joy-will be embraced by anyone who wants success to come not just from what they do, but from who they are.

Randy Komisar, Kent L. Lineback, 2001

The Riddle of Amish Culture

For this revised edition, Donald B. Kraybill has taken these recent changes into account, incorporating new demographic research and new interviews he has conducted among the Amish.

Donald B. Kraybill, 2003

The Everything Kids' Joke Book: Side-Splitting, Rib-Tickling Fun

Not only does The Everything Kids' Joke Book provide kids with an endless supply of good clean jokes, but it also offers tips on how to tell jokes, how to deliver a punch line, and how to get laughs from family and friends!

Michael Dahl, 2002

Best Riddle Book Ever

A collection of over 500 riddles on many different subjects.

Charles Keller, 1998

The Zaniest Riddle Book in the World

Gathers riddles about animals, clothing, criminals, games, the ocean, food, holidays, illness, sports, and school.

Joseph Rosenbloom, 1984

The Complete Personalized Promise Bible

This book identifies all the promises in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and provides each with an original Scripture verse with an expanded thought concerning the truth found in each verse.

James Riddle, 2004

The Riddle: The Second Book of Pellinor

The further translation of a manuscript from the lost civilization of Edil-Amarandah which chronicles the experiences of sixteen-year-old Maerad, a gifted Bard, as she seeks the answer to the Riddle of the Treesong and continues to battle ...

Alison Croggon, 2010

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «RIDDLE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term riddle is used in the context of the following news items.

Fort Worth cafe's kind gesture touches grieving parents

Debbie Davis Riddle says she's a regular at the West Side Cafe off Camp Bowie ... In a post on her Facebook page, Riddle said she brought her newborn baby, ... «WFAA, Jun 15»

Tennessee Toddler Born Without Feet Gets Puppy Without a Paw

The dog's breeder, Karen Riddle, said that the 9-week-old White German Shepard was born in a litter of nine puppies and was the only one missing a paw. «ABC News, Apr 15»

Man charged in threat against Embry-Riddle professor

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. —A 33-year-old man is accused of threatening to kill an Embry-Riddle University professor because he was failing a class, police said. «WESH Orlando, Apr 15»

Mike Riddle, Cassie Sharpe win gold in ski halfpipe at World Cup …

"I actually landed all three runs, which for me is kind of rare," Riddle said. "That was probably my favourite part of the night. But my goal tonight was just to go out ... «CBC.ca, Mar 15»

Maya Rudolph & Jaden Smith To Appear In Diallo Riddle/Bashir …

Riddle and Salahuddin executive produce alongside Story and Broadway Video's Lorne Michaels and Andrew Singer, while Field Entertainment's Jeff Field, The ... «Deadline.com, Jan 15»

Whitewater faces big challenge in containing Linfield quarterback

If UW-Whitewater is going to advance to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl for the ninth time in 10 years, the Warhawks' defense will have to solve a Riddle. Linfield ... «Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec 14»

Sam Riddle, Linfield cruise past Widener for trip to semifinals; Pride …

CHESTER, Pa. -- Widener University had never lost a NCAA playoff football game at home. Until now. And after Sam Riddle tossed five touchdowns, including ... «OregonLive.com, Dec 14»

Teacher's aide Kimberly Riddle killed in bus crash remembered by …

Up to her death, Kimberly Riddle's life was all about children. On weekdays, she taught children the ABCs and other subjects at Sunnyview Primary School. «Knoxville News Sentinel, Dec 14»

Skeleton could solve riddle of ancient Greek tomb

This picture taken on Thursday, Oct. 10 2014, shows work under progress at Casta Hill near Amphipolis in northern Greece, where archaeologists are ... «Phys.Org, Nov 14»

Lee Riddle, Ex-Teacher, Sentenced for "Cup Checks" To Measure …

Lee Riddle taught German at Widefield High School in Colorado Springs. But he's been sentenced to jail for other lessons -- ones involving contact with the ... «Westword, Nov 14»