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conundrum

conundrum

45 8.5
A confusing problem or question that is hard to solve
  • noun
  • /kəˈnʌndrəm/
: dilema
  • The math problem presented a challenging conundrum that puzzled the students for hours.
  • pose a conundrum
  • face a conundrum
  • a moral conundrum

And that was a real conundrum for a long time.

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Examples

  • We now face the conundrum that building on our conservation success will require long-term investments.

    Academic text (2012)
  • But, yeah, I I just didn't really know how to solve this conundrum we were in.

  • And that was a real conundrum for a long time.

  • As I said, quite a conundrum for us.

  • Every way she turned, a conundrum lay in her path.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • And then the great conundrum keeps getting even bigger.

  • And what we see here is that exactly that conundrum is reflected in current mathematical concerns.

  • Medicare remains yet another conundrum in the US health care system.

    Academic text (1999)
  • So we've got that conundrum to solve and to consider.

  • We must live, he understood, with this philosophical conundrum that he posed but could not solve.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

problem
vsconundrum
∞ 1.2

A situation that causes trouble and needs a solution

is specifically a confusing or difficult issue rather than any troublesome situation
mystery
vsconundrum
660 4.7

Something that is hard to understand or explain

is a difficult question or dilemma rather than a general unknown
riddle
vsconundrum
129 4.9

A difficult question or mystery that needs clever thought

is a general confusing issue rather than a pointed clever question
enigma
vsconundrum
33 8.1

A person or thing that is mysterious and hard to understand

is a confusing or difficult matter rather than a general mystery
quandary
vsconundrum
25 8.2

A situation when you do not know what to do

is a specific confusing or difficult issue rather than a state of indecision
sticker
vsconundrum
  • Archaic
11 8.3

A question or problem that is hard to solve

covers difficult cases generally, not only unusually puzzling ones
puzzler
vsconundrum
5 6.7

A difficult question or problem for people to solve

is any confusing or difficult issue, not necessarily a playful challenge
teaser
vsconundrum
4 6.3

A tricky question or puzzle that tests your skill

is any confusing or difficult issue, not just tests of cleverness
head-scratcher
vsconundrum
  • Informal
4 7.7

A problem that is hard to understand or solve

is focused on a difficult question or matter rather than an unclear situation
brain-teaser
vsconundrum
3 6.5

A hard puzzle that needs careful thought to solve

is broader, applying to confusing matters beyond puzzles
stumper
vsconundrum
2 9.3

A question or problem that is very hard to answer

is any confusing or difficult challenge, not only hard questions
brainteaser
vsconundrum
1 5.1

A difficult puzzle that needs careful thinking to solve

is any confusing or difficult issue, not only thought puzzles
poser
vsconundrum
1 8.8

A difficult question or problem that is hard to answer

is a broader confusing or difficult issue rather than a single question
mystifier
vsconundrum
8.2

A puzzle that is hard to understand and solve

is any difficult or confusing issue, not only solvable puzzles
knotty issue
vsconundrum
6.8

A difficult problem that is hard to solve

is often a confusing issue but may be simpler or less complex
knotty situation
vsconundrum
7.7

A difficult problem with no easy solution

is any confusing or difficult issue, not only complex situations

Antonyms

∞ 2.1

An answer to a problem or a way to deal with a difficult situation

152 3.0

How easy it is to understand what someone says or writes

How Difficult

enigma
33 8.1
conundrum
45 8.5
problem
∞ 1.2
puzzle
610 1.9
question
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

conundrum singular
conundrums plural

Etymology

Conundrum began as a playful, made-up English word for a 'riddle' or joke question a few hundred years ago. A helpful way to remember it is to think of a 'riddle' that leaves you unsure what to do, and that's why today a conundrum is a confusing or difficult problem.