English Meaning & Definitions
A confusing and difficult problem or question.
- “Arranging the seating chart for the wedding was a real conundrum.”
- “The economic conundrum facing the government is how to reduce inflation without increasing unemployment.”
A question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in the answer; a riddle.
- “The children giggled as they tried to solve the silly conundrum.”
- “Victorian parlor games often featured complex verbal conundrums.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “conundrum”.
Originating in the late 16th century, 'conundrum' is a pseudo-Latin word originally used university slang at Oxford to mean a pun or a whimsical, far-fetched notion. By the late 17th century, its meaning evolved to describe a riddle whose answer involves a pun, and eventually broadened to its modern sense of any confusing, difficult problem.
Imagine a **drum** being played in a **co**nfu**n**ded way, creating a confusing rhythm that is a total puzzle to figure out.
Frequently Asked Questions About “conundrum”
1. What is the meaning of “conundrum” in English?
In English, conundrum (noun) is defined as: “A confusing and difficult problem or question.”.
2. How do you use “conundrum” in a sentence?
“Arranging the seating chart for the wedding was a real conundrum.”
3. What are English synonyms of “conundrum”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “conundrum”?
Originating in the late 16th century, 'conundrum' is a pseudo-Latin word originally used university slang at Oxford to mean a pun or a whimsical, far-fetched notion. By the late 17th century, its meaning evolved to describe a riddle whose answer involves a pun, and eventually broadened to its modern sense of any confusing, difficult problem.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.