English

Etymology

Pronunciation

• /kəˈnʌn.dɹəm/

Noun

1. A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.
   • 1816, Jane Austen, Emma, Vol. 1, Ch. 2

     “Why should I understand that, or anything else?” asked the girl. “Don’t bother my head by asking conundrums, I beg of you. Just let me discover myself in my own way.”

2. A difficult choice or decision that must be made.
   • 2004 – Martha Stewart, statement read by Stewart before being sentenced to five months in prison.

     And while I am more concerned about the well-being of others than for myself, more hurt for them and for their losses than for my own, more worried for their futures than for the future of Martha Stewart the person, you are faced with a conundrum, a problem of monumental, to me, proportions.http://www.ksdk.com/printfullstory.aspx?storyid=63793

Quotations

Synonyms

• sense diffcult question brain-teaser, enigma, puzzle, riddle
• sense difficult choice dilemma, decoy, drawback, joke.

Translations

• Conundrum (Doctor Who), an original novel written by Steve Lyons
• Conundrum (novel), a Dragonlance fantasy novel by Jeff Crook
• Conundrum, a memoir written by Jan Morris
• Conundrum Press, two book publishing companies in North America

• "Conundrum" (song), an instrumental song by Jethro Tull
• "Conundrum" (TNG episode), a fifth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation
• The "Conundrum", a mountain unicycle made by Surly Bikes

• Conundrum, a puzzle or a riddle designed to test for lateral thinking