Conundrum

Definitions

1. A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.
2. A difficult choice or decision that must be made.

Equivalents

Examples

““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.””

“Besides assisting in unravelling these two etymological conundrums, the present⟳ research⟳ also made an effort to approach⟳ a greater accuracy in presenting the original sources of borrowed words.”

“2004, Martha Stewart, statement read⟳ 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.”

“Herb was initially overcome⟳ by Jakarta ('The impressions of noise, chaos, tremendous crowdedness and I suppose⟳ whitelessness were perhaps the strongest, and I felt something of a stranger') and faced with the familiar conundrum ('again the sensation of the thousands of hungry people all around – happy looking often, pluckily cheerful but in fact hungry – is strange and upsetting'), but he quickly slipped into the volunteer⟳ lifestyle with relish, borrowing a bike from Soewarto, a friend from Kempen, and spending a lot of his time with volunteers, including Lance Castles and John Gare.”

CEFR level