riddle
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rid·dle 1
(rĭd′l)tr.v. rid·dled, rid·dling, rid·dles
1. To pierce with numerous holes; perforate: riddle a target with bullets.
2. To spread throughout: "Election campaigns have always been riddled with demagogy and worse" (New Republic).
3. To put (gravel, for example) through a coarse sieve.
n.
A coarse sieve, as for gravel.
[Middle English ridelen, to sift, from riddil, sieve, from Old English hriddel; see krei- in Indo-European roots.]
rid′dler n.
rid·dle 2
(rĭd′l)n.
1. A question or statement requiring thought to answer or understand; a conundrum.
2. One that is perplexing; an enigma.
v. rid·dled, rid·dling, rid·dles
v.tr.
To solve or explain.
v.intr.
1. To propound or solve riddles.
2. To speak in riddles.
rid′dler n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
riddle
(ˈrɪdəl)n
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
vb
3. to solve, explain, or interpret (a riddle or riddles)
4. (intr) to speak in riddles
[Old English rǣdelle, rǣdelse, from rǣd counsel; related to Old Saxon rādislo, German Rätsel]
ˈriddler n
riddle
(ˈrɪdəl)vb (tr)
1. (usually foll by with) to pierce or perforate with numerous holes: riddled with bullets.
2. to damage or impair
3. to put through a sieve; sift
4. to fill or pervade: the report was riddled with errors.
n
(Tools) a sieve, esp a coarse one used for sand, grain, etc
[Old English hriddel a sieve, variant of hridder; related to Latin crībrum sieve]
ˈriddler n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
rid•dle1
(ˈrɪd l)n., v. -dled, -dling. n.
1. a question framed so 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.
v.i. 4. to propound riddles; speak enigmatically.
[before 1000; Middle English redel(s) (n.), Old English rǣdels(e) counsel, opinion, riddle =rǣd(an) to counsel, rede + -els(e) deverbal n. suffix; loss of -s- in Middle English through confusion with the pl. form of the n. suffix -el -le (compare burial)]
rid•dle2
(ˈrɪd l)v. -dled, -dling,
n. v.t.
1. to pierce with many holes suggesting those of a sieve.
2. to fill or affect with (something undesirable): a government riddled with graft.
3. to sift through a riddle, as gravel; screen.
n. 4. a coarse sieve, as one for sifting sand in a foundry.
[before 1100; (n.) Middle English riddil, Old English hriddel, variant of hridder, hrīder, c. German Reiter; akin to Latin crībrum sieve; (v.) Middle English ridlen to sift, derivative of the n.]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
riddle
Past participle: riddled
Gerund: riddling
| Imperative |
|---|
| riddle |
| riddle |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  riddle - a difficult problem problem - a question raised for consideration or solution; "our homework consisted of ten problems to solve" |
| 2. | riddle - a coarse sieve (as for gravel) | |
| Verb | 1. | riddle - pierce with many holes; "The bullets riddled his body" pierce - make a hole into; "The needle pierced her flesh" |
| 2. | riddle - set a difficult problem or riddle; "riddle me a riddle" | |
| 3. | riddle - separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff | |
| 4. | riddle - spread or diffuse through; "An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration"; "music penetrated the entire building"; "His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks" | |
| 5. | riddle - speak in riddles communicate, intercommunicate - transmit thoughts or feelings; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist" | |
| 6. | riddle - explain a riddle figure out, puzzle out, solve, lick, work out, work - find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of; "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
riddle
1noun
1. puzzle, problem, conundrum, teaser, poser, rebus, brain-teaser (informal), Chinese puzzle Tell me a riddle.
riddle
2Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
riddle
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
لُغْز، أحْجِيَهيَثْقُب كالغُرْبال
hádankaproděravět
gådegennemhulle
gátasundurgata
izcaurumotmīkla
prestrieľať
uganka
bilmecedelik deşik etmek
riddle
1 [ˈrɪdl] N (= word puzzle) → acertijo m, adivinanza f; (= mystery) → enigma m, misterio m; (= person etc) → enigma mto ask sb a riddle → proponer un acertijo a algn
to speak in riddles → hablar en clave
riddle
2 [ˈrɪdl]B. VT
2. to riddle with [+ bullets etc] → acribillar a
the house is riddled with damp → la casa tiene humedad por todas partes
the organization is riddled with communists → el organismo está plagado de comunistas
the army is riddled with subversion → el ejército está infectado de elementos subversivos
the house is riddled with damp → la casa tiene humedad por todas partes
the organization is riddled with communists → el organismo está plagado de comunistas
the army is riddled with subversion → el ejército está infectado de elementos subversivos
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
riddle
1n (= sieve) → (Schüttel)sieb nt
vt
soil etc → sieben; coal → sieben, schütteln
to riddle somebody/something with bullets → jdn/etw mit Kugeln durchlöchern; riddled with holes → völlig durchlöchert; riddled with woodworm → wurmzerfressen; riddled with cancer/corruption → vom Krebs/von der Korruption zerfressen; riddled with mistakes/contradictions → voller Fehler/Widersprüche
riddle
2Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
riddle
1 [ˈrɪdl] n (puzzle) → indovinelloto speak in riddles → parlare per enigmi
riddle
2 [ˈrɪdl]1. vt (soil, coal) → setacciare, vagliare (fig) to riddle with (bullets) → crivellare di
riddled with holes → bucherellato/a
the council was riddled with corruption → la corruzione dilagava nel consiglio
riddled with holes → bucherellato/a
the council was riddled with corruption → la corruzione dilagava nel consiglio
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
riddle1
(ˈridl) noun a puzzle usually in the form of a question, which describes an object, person etc in a mysterious or misleading way. Can you guess the answer to this riddle?; The answer to the riddle `What flies for ever, and never rests?' is `The wind'.
riddle2
(ˈridl) verb to make (something) full of holes. They riddled the car with bullets.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.