conundrum
kuh-NUN-drum
/kəˈnʌn.drəm/
A confusing and difficult problem or question, or a riddle whose answer involves a pun.
Often used for ethical or practical dilemmas where all choices have negative outcomes, or historically, a wordplay riddle.
The story behind the word. In the 1590s, Oxford students loved making up fake Latin words to mock pedantic scholars. Conundrum was born in this atmosphere of academic mischief, originally meaning a whim or a punning riddle before evolving into our word for a complex intellectual puzzle.
Word relationships
- dilemma: A dilemma strictly involves a choice between two undesirable options, whereas a conundrum is any complex, baffling problem.
- puzzle: A puzzle is a general term for any test of ingenuity, while a conundrum is specifically confusing and difficult.
- resolution: A resolution is the settling or solving of a problem, removing the conundrum entirely.
- certainty: Certainty is the state of being completely confident or sure about something.
Commonly confused with
- dilemma: A dilemma is a choice between two bad options, while a conundrum can be any complex, baffling problem or wordplay riddle.
Word family
- conundrums (noun plural): Multiple confusing and difficult problems.
Collocations
- ethical conundrum
- solve a conundrum
- face a conundrum
Example sentences
- "This is a conundrum which has puzzled the wisest heads of our generation." A historical debate regarding a complex legislative issue.
Memory hook
A nun playing a drum in a library is a confusing and difficult problem (con-nun-drum) to solve. A drum-playing nun is a real head-scratcher.
When not to use
Do not use for a simple physical puzzle like a jigsaw; it must represent a complex intellectual or ethical choice.
Fun facts
- In its earliest recorded uses, conundrum was spelled in various bizarre ways, including quonundrum, reflecting its origins as a spoken joke.
Explore more words
dilemma, perplexed, confounded, consequence, equivocal, consternation
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.