A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. They can be fun to ask your friends or family at a dinner table. The trick is to let them squirm a little bit thinking of the possible answers before eventually letting them know the answer! When they finally hear the answer to the clever riddle, there will be a "Ah ha!" moment, which is generally a lot of fun.
Sometimes, people have heard the riddle before and will know the answer right off the bat. That's why we've included a massive list of clever riddles, sorted by Fun, Hard and Impossible for you to bust some brains with!
Icebreaker games
Aside from riddles, you can find all kinds of difference icebreaker games over at Brightful Meeting Games. If you enjoy riddles, you will probably love playing Trivia too!
13 Fun and Clever Riddles
These riddles are clever and humorous, and funny enough to get a laugh from the answer. You can probably assume the answer is a play on words, or a something equally cheeky. Great fun to use as an icebreaker.
1. There was this competition where the contestants had to hold 'something'. At the end of the event, the winner was a person who was physically disabled (he had no hands and no any feet)! What was that 'something'?
Breath.
2. What kind of coat is always wet when you put it on?
A coat of paint.
3. What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Dinosaurs laid eggs much before evolution of chicken.
4. How can you make six into an odd number?
Remove the letter S and you have IX which is 9 in roman numerals.
5. I have branches yet I have no leaves, no trunk and no fruit. What am I?
A bank.
6. How many bananas can you eat if your stomach is empty?
Just one after that it’s not empty anymore.
7. What belongs to you but other people use it more than you?
Your name.
8. I never was but always will be. No one ever saw me but everyone knows I exist. I give people the motivation to better themselves every day. What am I?
Tomorrow
9. Paul's height is six feet, he's an assistant at a butcher's shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?
Meat.
10. What runs, but never walks. Murmurs, but never talks. Has a bed, but never sleeps. And has a mouth, but never eats?
A river.
11. I’m light as a feather, but not even the strongest girl can hold me for more than 5 minutes. What am I?
Breath.
12. What breaks and never falls, and what falls and never breaks?
Day breaks and night falls
13. How can a girl go 25 days without sleep?
She sleeps at night.
9 Hard Riddles
Okay, these riddles are starting to get a bit difficult. You may feel a bit of frustration when thinking about the answer, but if you think outside the box a little bit you may be able to guess the correct answer!
1. What word in the English language does the following: the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great, while the entire word signifies a great woman. What is the word?
Answer: Heroine
2. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but come alive with wind. What am I?
Answer: An Echo
3. You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I'm quick when I'm thin and slow when I'm fat. The wind is my enemy.
Answer: A Candle
4. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?
Answer: A Map
5. What is seen in the middle of March and April that can't be seen at the beginning or end of either month?
Answer: The Letter "R"
6. You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don't see a single person on the boat. Why?
Answer: All the people were married.
7. A woman shoots her husband, then holds him underwater for five minutes. Next, she hangs him. Right after, they enjoy a lovely dinner. Explain.
Answer: She took a picture of him and developed it in her dark room.
8. I come from a mine and get surrounded by wood always. Everyone uses me. What am I?
Answer: Pencil lead
9. What makes you, young?
Answer: Adding the letters "ng".
14 Incredibly Hard Riddles
These are getting ridiculous now. Be prepared to have smoke coming out of your ears as you attempt to figure out these riddles. You will feel a great relief when you finally figure out the answer.
1. I’m often running yet I have no legs. You need me but I don’t need you. What am I?
Answer: Water
2. What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat and 2/4 goat?
Answer: Chicago
3. I am seven letter word. I am very heavy. Take away two letters from me and you will get 8. Take away one letter and you will get 80. Who am I?
Answer: Weighty
4. In 1990, a person is 15 years old. In 1995, that same person is 10 years old. How can this be?
Answer: It is because it’s 1995-1990 B.C.!
5. I am neither a guest or a trespasser be, to this place I belong, it belongs also to me.
Answer: Home
6. Only one color, but not one size, Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in sun, but not in rain, Doing no harm, and feeling no pain. What is it?
Answer: A shadow
7. Slayer of regrets, old and new, sought by many, found by few. What am I?
Answer: Redemption
8. What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you’ll die?
Answer: Nothing
9. Spelled forwards I’m what you do everyday, spelled backwards I’m something you hate. What am I?
Answer: Live
10. What connects two people but touches only one?
Answer: A wedding ring
11. What begins but has no end and is the ending of all that begins?
Answer: Death
12. What five letter word stays the same when you take away the first, third, and last letter?
Answer: Empty
13. I start off dry but come out wet. I go in light and come out heavy. What am I?
Answer: A teabag
14. I Start with M, end with X and have never ending amount of letters. What am I?
Answer: MAIL BOX
