riddle

UK: /ˈrɪd^əl/ US: /ˈrɪdəl/ ,(rid′l)

Inflections of 'riddle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

riddles

v 3rd person singular

riddling

v pres p

riddled

v past

riddled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

rid•dle¹ /ˈrɪdəl/   n. [countable]

1. a puzzling question put so as to make it difficult to answer it or discover its meaning:
   A childhood riddle is "What kind of dog has no tail?'' —The answer: a hot dog.
2. a puzzling problem, matter, or person:
   His behavior is a riddle.

rid•dle² /ˈrɪdəl/   v. [~ + object]

1. to pierce with many holes:
   Bullets riddled the target.
2. to fill or affect with (something undesirable):
   The department is riddled with graft.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

rid•dle¹  (rid′l), n., v., -dled, -dling. 
n. 

1. a question or statement so framed as to exercise one's ingenuity in answering it or discovering its meaning;
   conundrum.
2. a puzzling question, problem, or matter.
3. a puzzling thing or person.
4. any enigmatic or dark saying or speech.

v.i. 

5. to propound riddles;
   speak enigmatically.

• bef. 1000; Middle English redel, redels (noun, nominal), Old English rǣdels(e) counsel, opinion, imagination, riddle (rǣd(an) to counsel, rede + -els(e) deverbal noun, nominal suffix) with loss of -s- in Middle English through confusion with the plural form of the noun, nominal suffix -el -le (compare burial); cognate with German Rätsel, Dutch raadsel

Synonyms

• 1. See puzzle. 

rid•dle²  (rid′l), v., -dled, -dling, n. 
v.t. 

1. to pierce with many holes, suggesting those of a sieve:
   to riddle the target.
2. to fill or affect with (something undesirable, weakening, etc.):
   a government riddled with graft.
3. to impair or refute completely by persistent verbal attacks:
   to riddle a person's reputation.
4. Mining to sift through a riddle, as gravel;
   screen.

n. 

5. Metallurgy a coarse sieve, as one for sifting sand in a foundry.

• bef. 1100; (noun, nominal) Middle English riddil, Old English hriddel, variant of hridder, hrīder; cognate with German Reiter; akin to Latin crībrum sieve; (verb, verbal) Middle English ridlen to sift, derivative of the noun, nominal

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

riddle / ˈrɪd^əl/ noun

1. a question, puzzle, or verse so phrased that ingenuity is required for elucidation of the answer or meaning; conundrum
2. a person or thing that puzzles, perplexes, or confuses; enigma

verb

1. to solve, explain, or interpret (a riddle or riddles)
2. (intransitive) to speak in riddles

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

ˈriddler noun

riddle / ˈrɪd^əl/ verb (transitive)

(usually followed by with) to pierce or perforate with numerous holes: riddled with bullets

to put through a sieve; sift

to fill or pervade: the report was riddled with errors

noun

1. a sieve, esp a coarse one used for sand, grain, etc

Etymology: Old English hriddel a sieve, variant of hridder; related to Latin crībrum sieve

ˈriddler noun