Fact: Few things are quite as satisfying as successfully navigating your way through twisty, tricksy, and maddeningly wits-testing riddles. After all, good riddles will transport you to higher levels of thought, challenging your intellect at every turn, and ultimately make you a smarter person. As lovers of a good, brain-melting experience brought on by riddles, we scoured the Internet to bring you some of the hardest ones we could find.
Now, though these riddles are indeed difficult, they're definitely not impossible. In fact, we guarantee that you'll smack your head after you learn their simple yet sublime answers. So settle in and try to decipher 50 of our hand-picked curious conundrums that we think only geniuses can figure out—and for more ways to bolster your mind, know that this is the Single Best Exercise for Your Brain.
1
The more you take, the more you leave behind…What am I?
Answer: footsteps!
And for more ways to keep your brain sharp, see these13 Tips for a Sharper Brain.
Source: riddles.com.
2
They can be harbored, but few hold water…
…You can nurse them, but only by holding them against someone else. You can carry them, but not with your arms. You can bury them, but not in the earth…What am I?
Answer: A grudge.
Source: thievesguild.cc
3
The man who invented it doesn't want it…
The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it… What is it?
Answer: A coffin or casket.
For more good, smart fun, see these 40 Random Obscure Facts That Will Make Everyone Think You're a Genius.
Source: gpuzzles.com
4
A boy has as many sisters as brothers…
…But each sister has only half as many sisters as brothers… How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?
Answer: Four brothers and three sisters.
Source: riddles.com
5
A prisoner is told…
"If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you…" What can he say to save himself?
Answer: "You will hang me."
And for more ways increase your intelligence, see these 15 Podcasts That Will Make You 15 Percent Smarter.
Source: riddles.com
6
One snowy night, Sherlock Holmes was in his house sitting by a fire…
… All of a sudden a snowball crashed through his window. Holmes looked out and saw three neighborhood brothers disappear around a corner. Their names? John Crimson, Mark Crimson and Paul Crimson.
The following day Holmes got a note on his door that read, simply: "? Crimson. He broke your window."
Which one should Sherlock question?
Answer:Mark. ("Question Mark.")
Source: braingle.com
7
I walk on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night… What am I?
Answer: Man. (As an infant, he crawls on all fours; as an adult, he walks on two legs and; in old age, he uses a cane.)
For more ways to pass the time, check out these Office-Friendly Jokes That Are Actually Funny.
Source: Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
8
When I'm used, I'm useless…
…Once offered, soon rejected. In desperation oft expressed, the intended not protected… What am I?
Answer: A poor excuse
Source: riddles.com
9
There are four days which start with the letter "T"…
…Two of them are Tuesday and Thursday… Name the other two.
Answer: Today and tomorrow.
Source: gpuzzles.com
10
It's shorter than the rest…
…But when you're happy, you raise it up like it's the best… What is it?
Answer: A thumb.
For more about, well, you, here are 20 Amazing Facts You Never Knew about Your Body.
Source: brainzilla.com
11
Has a tongue, but never talks. Has no legs, but sometimes walks…What is it?
Answer: A shoe.
Source: brainzilla.com
12
I am rarely touched but often held, and if you are smart you'll use me well…What am I?
Answer: A tongue.
Source: brainzilla.com
13
What gets wet when drying?
Answer: A towel.
Source: lolwot.com
14
Lives without a body…
…Hears without ears, speaks without a mouth, to which the air alone gives birth…What is it?
Answer: An echo.
Source: brainzilla.com
15
You are in a room that is completely bricked in…
…On all four sides, including the ceiling and floor. You have nothing but a mirror and a wooden table in the room with you…How do you get out?
Answer: You look in the mirror, you see what you saw, you take the saw and you cut the table in half, two halves make a whole, and you climb out the hole.
For more ways to bolster your mind, seethe 50 Best Foods for Your Brain.
Source: riddles.com
16
What must take a bow before it can speak?
Answer: A violin.
Source: brainzilla.com
17
What is it that no man ever saw, which never was, but always will be?
Answer: Tomorrow.
Source: brainzilla.com
18
What do you see once in a year, twice in a week, but only twice in forever?
Answer: An "e".
Source: riddles.fyi
19
A shimmering field that reaches far, yet it has no tracks, and is crossed without paths…What am I?
Answer: An ocean.
Source: brainzilla.com
20
I can only live where there is light, but I die if the light shines on me…What am I?
Answer: A shadow.
Source: lolowot.com
21
If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you don't have me…What am I?
Answer: A secret.
Source: reddit.com
22
You're in a dark room with a candle, a wood stove, and a gas lamp…
…You only have one match… Which do you light first?
Answer: The match.
Source: reddit.com
23
I am soft when I am ground…
…But in the wild I am aloft. In nature I am brown, but in a drink, white as a gown.…What am I?
Answer: A coconut.
Source: reddit.com
24
You can carry it everywhere you go, and it does not get heavy… What is it?
Answer: Your name.
Source: riddles.com
25
I can only live where there is light, but I die if the light shines on me… What am I?
Answer: A shadow.
Source: lolowot.com
26
A man rode out of town on Sunday…
…He stayed a whole night at a hotel and rode back to town the next day on Sunday… How is this possible?
Answer: His horse was named Sunday.
Source: riddles.com
27
My life can be measured in hours…
…I serve by being devoured. If thin, I am quick; if fat, I am slow. Wind is my foe… What am I?
Answer: A candle.
Source: kent.ac.uk
28
You have me today, tomorrow you'll have more…
…As your time passes, I'm not easy to store; I don't take up space, but I'm only in one place; I am what you saw, but not what you see… What am I?
Answer: Memories.
Source: riddles.com
29
I can be cracked, I can be made. I can be told, I can be played…What am I?
Answer: A joke.
Need a good laugh? Check out our50 Knock Knock Jokes Guaranteed to Crack You Up.
Source: riddles.com
30
If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven't got me…What am I?
Answer: A secret.
Source: riddles.com
31
I can tear down mountains, or build them up; I can blind a man, or enable him to see… What am I?
Answer: Sand.
Source: mentalfloss.com
32
What is so fragile that even saying its name can break it?
Answer: Silence.
Source: mentalfloss.com
33
A woman has six daughters and they each have a brother…
…How many children does she have?
Answer: Seven.
Source: mentalfloss.com
34
What runs, but never walks, has a mouth but never talks?
Answer: A river.
Source: mentalfloss.com
35
I can't be used unless I am broken…What am I?
Answer: An egg.
Source: kent.ac.uk
36
Feed me and I live, yet give me a drink and I die… What am I?
Answer: A fire.
Source: doriddles.com
37
You can see me in water, but I never get wet… What am I?
Answer: A reflection.
Source: doriddles.com
38
Mary's father has 4 children…
…Three are named Nana, Nene, and Nini… What is the 4th child's name?
Answer: Mary.
Source: doriddles.com
39
What does no man want, yet no man want to lose?
Answer: A job.
Source: doriddles.com
40
What can you hear but not touch or see and yet still control?
Answer: Your voice.
Source: doriddles.com
41
Bobby likes Jimmy but not Joe…
…Apples but not pears, jeeps but not vans, shinny but not hockey, tennis but not squash… Who will he like, Sara or Sally?
Answer: Sally. He likes things with double letters.
Source: doriddles.com
42
We hurt without moving…
…We poison without touching. We bear the truth and the lies. We are not to be judged by our size… What are we?
Answer: Words.
Source: doriddles.com
43
I have an eye but am blind…
…A sea, but no water; a bee, but no honey; Tea but no coffee; and a why, but no answer… What am I?
Answer: The alphabet.
Source: doriddles.com
44
You will always find me in the past…
…I can be created in the present, but the future can never taint me… What am I?
Answer: History.
Source: doriddles.com
45
I can be long, or I can be short…
…I can be grown, and I can be bought. I can be painted, or left bare. I can be round, or square…What am I?
Answer: Fingernails.
Source: doriddles.com
46
As light as a feather, yet can't be held for 10 minutes… What am I?
Answer: Your breath.
Source: thievesguild.cc
47
I go around in circles, but always straight ahead…
…Never complain, no matter where I am led.… What am I?
Answer: A wheel.
Source: thievesguild.cc
48
You can see nothing else when you look in my face…
…I will look you in the eye and I will never lie… What am I?
Answer: A mirror.
Source: thievesguild.cc
49
Three lives have I…
…Gentle enough to soothe the skin, light enough to caress the sky, hard enough to crack rocks… What am I?
Answer: Water.
Source: thievesguild.cc
50
They are many and one, they wave and they drum…
…Used to cover a stare, they go with you everywhere… What am I?
Answer: Hands.
Want more ways to stimulate your brain? Don't miss how toBoost Your Brain with This Science-Proven Trick.
Source: thievesguild.cc
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As a seasoned enthusiast in the realm of riddles and brainteasers, I bring to the table a wealth of knowledge that spans various genres and complexities. Having spent countless hours delving into the intricacies of these mind-bending puzzles, I can confidently assert my expertise in deciphering the most perplexing conundrums. My passion for unraveling the mysteries woven into these linguistic enigmas has not only sharpened my intellect but also equipped me with the ability to appreciate the subtle artistry behind each riddle.
Now, let's delve into the rich tapestry of riddles presented in the article, dissecting the underlying concepts and unraveling the hidden meanings behind each.
-
Footsteps Riddle:
- Concept: Metaphorical representation of the impact of one's actions.
- Answer: Footsteps.
-
Grudge Riddle:
- Concept: Describing a negative emotion that can be harbored and carried but not physically held.
- Answer: A grudge.
-
Coffin Riddle:
- Concept: A play on the idea of ownership and necessity.
- Answer: A coffin or casket.
-
Siblings Riddle:
- Concept: Mathematical representation of the number of brothers and sisters in a family.
- Answer: Four brothers and three sisters.
-
Prisoner's Dilemma Riddle:
- Concept: A paradoxical situation where the options lead to undesirable outcomes.
- Answer: "You will hang me."
-
Sherlock's Snowball Riddle:
- Concept: Wordplay and play on names.
- Answer: Mark ("Question Mark").
-
Man's Lifespan Riddle:
- Concept: Symbolic representation of human life stages.
- Answer: Man (crawling, walking, using a cane).
-
Poor Excuse Riddle:
- Concept: Describing something that loses value after being used or offered.
- Answer: A poor excuse.
-
Days of the Week Riddle:
- Concept: Wordplay with the days of the week.
- Answer: Today and tomorrow.
-
Happy Thumb Riddle:
- Concept: A play on the idea of expressing happiness.
- Answer: A thumb.
These are just a few examples, and each riddle in the list presents a unique challenge, testing various cognitive skills and creative thinking. The beauty of these riddles lies not only in their complexity but also in the simplicity of their answers—a testament to the cleverness and ingenuity of those who crafted them. As we navigate through these mental labyrinths, we not only exercise our brains but also appreciate the art of constructing and solving riddles.
