riddle, puzzle, enigma

riddle, puzzle, enigma
A riddle is a puzzling question or problem; a conundrum. The term is most often used in connection with problems expressed in words, obscure matters that can be clarified only by a guess: "Plutarch wrote that Homer died of worry and chagrin because he could not solve a certain riddle." "Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx by revealing that the person described was man, who 'walked' on four legs, then two, then three." A puzzle is a toy or other device designed to amuse by presenting a difficulty that can be solved through effort or ingenuity: "He works the crossword puzzle every morning that it appears in his newspaper." An enigma is a baffling problem or question that contains an air or atmosphere of mystery: "Zach concluded that his former wife would always be an enigma to him." In a radio broadcast early during World War II, Winston Churchill said: "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • puzzle — See riddle. See puzzle, perplex, bewilder See riddle, puzzle, enigma …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • enigma — See riddle. See riddle, puzzle, enigma …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • riddle — See riddle, puzzle, enigma …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • enigma — riddle, puzzle, conundrum, *mystery, problem …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • riddle — noun an answer to the riddle Syn: puzzle, conundrum, brainteaser, problem, unsolved problem, question, poser, enigma, mystery, quandary; informal stumper •• riddle, conundrum, enigma, mystery, paradox, puzzle All of these terms imply something… …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • riddle — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. conundrum, enigma, puzzle; problem, poser. See secret, difficulty, unintelligibility. II (Roget s IV) n. 1. [A difficult problem] Syn. problem, puzzle, question, knotty question, doubt, quandary,… …   English dictionary for students

  • enigma — n. Riddle, puzzle, dark saying, obscure question …   New dictionary of synonyms

  • puzzle# — puzzle vb Puzzle, perplex, mystify, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound are comparable when they mean to disturb and baffle mentally or throw into mental confusion. The first three words express various mental reactions to what is… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • enigma — e*nig ma ([ e]*n[i^]g m[.a]), n.; pl. {enigmas} ([ e]*n[i^]g m[.a]z). [L. aenigma, Gr. a i nigma, fr. a ini ssesqai to speak darkly, fr. a i^nos tale, fable.] 1. A dark, obscure, or inexplicable saying; a riddle; a statement, the hidden meaning… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • riddle — [n] brain teaser bewilderment, braintwister*, charade, closed book*, complexity, complication, confusion, conundrum, cryptogram, dilemma, distraction, doubt, embarrassment, enigma, entanglement, intricacy, knotty question*, labyrinth, maze,… …   New thesaurus

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