Vocabulary
Conundrum: meaning, tone, and examples
Your team has enough money for either a faster delivery service or lower prices, but neither choice solves every concern. That kind of difficult situation can be a conundrum.
Use conundrum for a difficult and confusing problem, question, or puzzle whose answer is hard to find.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
conundrum /kəˈnʌn.drəm/
The short answer
Conundrum means a confusing and difficult problem or question that is hard to solve or answer.
Finding a flat near work within her budget was a real conundrum.
Why it works: Several practical limits make the decision hard to solve.
3 more examples
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The editor faced a conundrum: shorten the article or leave out important background.
The editor has a difficult problem because both choices have a cost.
Not this:The editor faced
a routine task: shorten the article before lunch. What changes: A routine task may need time, but it does not suggest a confusing choice with no clear answer. -
The town's transport conundrum became harder when the bridge closed for repairs.
Conundrum describes a complicated public problem with competing needs.
Not this:The town's transport
timetable changedwhen the bridge closed for repairs. What changes: This gives a fact about a schedule but does not describe the wider difficult problem. -
For the detective, the missing key was a conundrum rather than a simple clue.
The missing key creates a question that is hard to explain or solve.
Not this:For the detective, the missing key was
a useful clue. What changes: A clue helps solve a mystery; a conundrum is the puzzling difficulty itself.
Read the full guide
Conundrum has a more formal and literary tone than problem. Use it when the difficulty and confusion matter, rather than for every ordinary task that needs attention.
Start with a problem that is hard to solve
A conundrum is more than a small inconvenience. It is a problem that makes people stop and think because the answer is uncertain, the facts are confusing, or every available choice creates another difficulty.
How can the clinic shorten waiting times without reducing appointments? That is a conundrum.
Use conundrum for questions and puzzles
Conundrum can name a question that seems to have no simple answer. It can also refer to a puzzle or riddle, although difficult real-life situations are a common modern use. The surrounding words usually show which meaning is intended.
The researchers treated the unexpected result as a scientific conundrum.
Compare conundrum and problem
Problem is the broad everyday word. A problem can be easy, urgent, or routine. Conundrum narrows the meaning to a problem that is difficult and puzzling, so it adds more colour and formality to a sentence.
A broken door lock is a problem. Deciding how to secure a shared building without preventing access for its residents may be a conundrum.
Separate conundrum from dilemma
A dilemma is a difficult choice between two or more options, often when each option has a disadvantage. A conundrum is the wider difficult question or puzzle. One dilemma can create a conundrum, but the words do not always mean the same thing.
Her dilemma was whether to accept the offer now or wait; the conundrum was how either choice would affect her family.
Put the word into a natural sentence
Common patterns include a conundrum, the conundrum of, and face a conundrum. An adjective can name the topic: a legal conundrum, a staffing conundrum, or a technical conundrum. Avoid using the word when a plain problem says exactly what you mean.
The museum faced the conundrum of protecting fragile objects while keeping them visible to visitors.
Read the tone in the situation
In a report or formal discussion, conundrum can show that an issue deserves careful thought. In conversation, speakers may use it with mild humour for an awkward everyday choice. The context should still make the difficulty clear.
A friend cannot choose between two restaurants because both have long waiting lists. Does conundrum fit?
It can fit if the choice is genuinely awkward or the speaker is being lightly humorous. In a simple plan, problem or choice may sound more natural.
Before you go
Remember this
Use conundrum for a difficult, confusing problem, question, or puzzle. It is more formal than problem and different from dilemma, which focuses on a hard choice between options.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Conundrum: meaning, tone, and examples"
What does conundrum mean?
A conundrum is a difficult and confusing problem, question, or puzzle. It suggests that the answer is hard to find, as when a team must meet two important needs that seem to conflict.
The editor faced a conundrum: shorten the article or leave out important background.
What is the difference between a conundrum and a problem?
Problem is the broad everyday word and can describe something simple or routine. Conundrum is more formal and describes a problem that is especially puzzling or difficult to solve. A broken lock is a problem; planning secure access for every resident can be a conundrum.
The editor faced a routine task: shorten the article before lunch.
What is the difference between conundrum and dilemma?
A dilemma is a hard choice between options, often when each option has a disadvantage. A conundrum is a difficult question or puzzle. Choosing between two offers may be a dilemma; working out the effects of either choice may be the conundrum.
The town's transport conundrum became harder when the bridge closed for repairs.
How do you use conundrum in a sentence?
Use common patterns such as a conundrum, face a conundrum, and the conundrum of. For example, The museum faced the conundrum of protecting fragile objects while keeping them visible to visitors. The word suits a difficult issue with no easy answer.
The town's transport timetable changed when the bridge closed for repairs.
How do you pronounce conundrum?
Pronounce conundrum /kəˈnʌn.drəm/. The stress falls on the second syllable: con-UN-drum. Say the first and last vowels lightly, then make the stressed UN syllable clear.
For the detective, the missing key was a conundrum rather than a simple clue.
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