90 Hard Riddles For Only The Smartest People In The World

Riddles are great because they make you feel like the smartest kid in school. There's no better feeling than when someone asks you, "What weighs more? A ton of feathers or a ton of bricks?" and you victoriously respond that they weigh the same. In theory, that means that this list of really difficult riddles is gonna make you feel like a damn genius. You're welcome!

The answers are under each riddle so that you can use the list to quiz your friends, but we left a lot of space between them in case you want to treat this like a regular quiz too. Just hide the answers as you scroll!

1.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. What am I?

A lit candle in a glass holder and a camera on a wooden table in a dimly lit room
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2.I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?

A vintage, detailed map showing the geographical layout of Rome and surrounding areas. The map includes roads, railways, and topographic features. With place names and landmarks
Thepalmer / Getty Images

3.What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?

A solid yellow rectangle with a red border. No text or persons are present in this image
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4.A girl has as many brothers as sisters, but each brother has only half as many brothers as sisters. How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?

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5.I have keys, but no locks and space, and no rooms. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I?

Close-up of hands typing on a keyboard in a well-lit environment
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6.How many letters are in the alphabet?

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7.This belongs to you, but everyone else uses it.

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8.What is always in front of you, but yet you cannot see it?

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9.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 the great, while the entire word signifies a great woman. What is the word?

Stained glass depiction of Joan of Arc, showcasing intricate armor and a halo, surrounded by floral patterns and the inscription "S. Jo ARC."
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10.I’m the rare case when today comes before yesterday. What am I?

An open book with pages fanned out, creating an arch-like shape
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11.What has four fingers and a thumb, but isn’t alive?

A close-up of two white kitchen gloves with yellow grip patterns on the palms and fingers
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12.What two words, when added together, contain the most letters?

Post office storefront with signage for cards, stationery, and toys. A red mailbox and a construction cone are in front
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13.What always ends everything?

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14.The man who invented it doesn’t need it. The man who bought it doesn’t want it. The man who needs it doesn’t know. What is it?

People with hands placed on a casket adorned with a bouquet of white flowers, expressing solemn unity or mourning
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15.What can you touch with your left hand, but not your right?

A woman in a white t-shirt smiles and flexes her arm to show strength
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16.It stalks the countryside with ears, but can’t hear. What is it?

Close-up of fresh, yellow corn on the cob partially covered with green husks
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17.What kind of coat is best put on wet?

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18.Feed me and I live. Give me a drink and I die. What am I?

A building with wooden window frames is engulfed in flames
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19.If you eat me, my sender will eat you. What am I?

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20.What travels around the world while staying in a corner?

Vintage postcard with a Benjamin Franklin 1-cent stamp and postmark. The left side includes printed text "This side for the Address."
1970s / Getty Images

21.What do an island and the letter T have in common?

A wooden dock extends into a serene lake at sunset, with distant hills and a colorful sky
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22.A cop saw a truck driver going the wrong way down a one-way street, but didn't pull him over. Why not?

A large commercial truck parked in an industrial area on a sunny day, with a warehouse building visible in the background
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23.What has a head and a tail but no body?

A hand holding two coins above a brown suede wallet with some visible paper currency inside
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24.Walk on the living, they don’t even mumble. Walk on the dead, they mutter and grumble. What are they?

Close-up of fresh green leaves on a branch with the blue sky and soft clouds in the background
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25.What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?

Close-up of a textured cloth surface, appearing to be soft and woven, without any discernible patterns or colors
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26.Mary's mother had four children; April, May, and June were the first three. What's the name of the 4th child?

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27.There are two coins that add up to six cents total. One of them is not a nickel. What are they?

Close-up of various United States coins, including pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters scattered together
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28.I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?

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29.What must you give, before you can keep it?

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30.I am the first in Earth and the second in heaven. I appear two times in a week, but you can only see me once in a year. What am I?

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31.What goes up and down but remains in the same place?

Ornate black iron handrail detail leading up to outdoor stone steps against a brick building
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32.If you have me, you will want to share me. If you share me, you will no longer have me. What am I?

Two women, one wearing a star-patterned sweater and the other in a maroon top with a black belt, share a secret, smiling and laughing
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33.I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?

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34.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?

A couple, back facing the camera, stands on a dock next to a boat. The woman is wearing a long wedding dress and the man a black suit
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35.What English word has three consecutive double letters?

A large collection of books neatly arranged on multiple shelves, featuring various genres and authors
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36.A woman shoots her husband, then holds him underwater for five minutes. Next, she hangs him. Right after, they enjoy a lovely dinner. How can you explain it?

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37.I come from a mine and get surrounded by wood always. Everyone uses me. What am I?

A calculator and four pencils arranged in a straight line on a flat surface
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38.What disappears as soon as you say its name?

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39.How can the number four be half of five?

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40.A is the brother of B. B is the brother of C. C is the father of D. So how is D related to A?

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41.What are the next three letters in this combination: OTTFFSS?

A series of numbered circular icons from 1 to 10. The numbers are in individual circles with different colored borders
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42.First, think of the color of the clouds. Next, think of the color of snow. Now, think of the color of a bright full moon. Answer quickly: What do cows drink?

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43.How is seven different from the rest of the numbers between one and ten?

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44.What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?

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45.Which word in the dictionary is always spelled incorrectly?

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46.What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?

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47.How can you physically stand behind your father while he is standing behind you?

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48.What is able to go up a chimney when down but unable to go down a chimney when up?

People standing under umbrellas in heavy rain, with multiple packs of bottled water at their feet
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49.Three different doctors said that Paul is their brother yet Paul claims he has no brothers. Who is lying?

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50.Who has married many women but never been married?

A priest wearing a clerical shirt and a patterned stole stands in a church, speaking to a person with their back to the camera
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51.You can ask this question all day long and get a different answer each time, yet all the answers will be correct. What is the question?

A man wearing glasses and a plain t-shirt looks at his watch with a worried expression, scratching his head
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52.What loses its head in the morning but gets it back at night?

A neatly made bed with a pillow positioned centrally on the bedspread
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53.I have a head like a cat and feet like a cat, but I am not a cat. What am I?

A kitten standing on a gravel path, looking directly at the camera
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54.What has hands but cannot clap?

A minimalist, round wall clock with black hour and minute hands, and no numerals on its face, indicating it is 10:08
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55.Paul's is six feet tall, works at a butcher's shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?

Thick, marbled ribeye steaks are displayed on a countertop, ready for cooking
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56.Throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it?

A peeled ear of corn on a wooden table with peeling husks, next to an unpeeled ear of corn
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57.They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?

Starry night sky over a mountain range with snow-capped peaks and dense forested area in the foreground
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58.People crack me, make me, tell me, and play me. What am I?

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59.A man goes out for a walk during a storm with nothing to protect him from the rain. He doesn’t have a hat, a hood or an umbrella. But by the end of his walk, there isn’t a single wet hair on his head. Why is that?

A man sits comfortably on a beige sofa, smiling as he looks at his phone and holds a cup. The background features home decor and greenery
Gzorgz / Getty Images

60.What is something that no one wants to have, but no one wants to lose either?

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61.When it is alive we sing, when it is dead we clap our hands. What is it?

A lit birthday candle in the shape of the number one against a black background
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62.What gets bigger the more you take away?

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63.What two things can you never eat for breakfast?

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64.I make a loud sound when I’m changing. When I do change, I get bigger but weigh less. What am I?

A bowl of popcorn surrounded by scattered popcorn pieces on a solid background
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65.Take off my skin — I won't cry, but you will! What am I?

Close-up of a person thinly slicing a red onion on a wooden cutting board with a sharp knife
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66.What has a bottom at the top?

Synchronized swimmers performing a routine, six pairs of legs vertically above water in a pool
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67.Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?

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68.People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?

Stacks upon stacks of 50 Euro banknotes neatly arranged, showcasing significant wealth
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69.Melissa has four daughters, and each of her daughters has a brother. How many children does Melissa have?

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70.How much dirt is in a hole that's two feet by three feet?

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71.A cowboy rides into town on Friday. He stays three days, then rides out of town on a Friday. How?

A white horse facing forward with a calm expression against a plain background
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72.What gets smaller every time it takes a bath?

A bar of soap with foam on top, placed on a white surface with soft shadows in the background
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73.What word is pronounced the same if you take away four of its five letters?

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74.A plane crashed between the border of France and Belgium. Where were the survivors buried?

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75.What begins with an "e" and only contains one letter?

A cup of tea sits next to a sealed envelope with a pen on a wooden table
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76.What do you buy to eat but never consume?

A blue plate with a fork and a spoon resting side by side on a wooden table
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77.What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?

A table with a teapot, a teacup on a saucer, and a ceramic pitcher, set up for tea
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78.What do you throw out when you want to use it but take in when you don’t want to use it?

A close-up photo of a ship's anchor partially submerged in water, attached to thick ropes. The side of the boat is visible on the left
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79.Spelled forwards, I’m what you do every day; spelled backward, I’m not good. What am I?

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80.What can you put in a bucket to make it weigh less?

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81.What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?

Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, Chicago, with people gathered around and city skyscrapers in the background
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82.What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?

A person's hand reaching out with fingers slightly spread, against a plain white background
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83.What has 13 hearts but no other organs?

Playing cards featuring the four aces: Ace of Clubs, Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Hearts, and Ace of Spades depicted in various arrangements
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84.If you throw a blue stone into the Red Sea, what will it become?

A dog shakes off water while standing on a wet beach. Waves and the ocean are visible in the background
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85.What has three feet but can't walk?

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86.What 5-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?

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87.What is taken before you can get it?

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88.What's bought by the yard and worn by the foot?

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89.Two people are born at the same moment, but they don't have the same birthdays. How?

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90.If you are running a race and pass the person in second, then what place are you in?

A group of runners, including numbered participants, race on a gravel path in an outdoor setting. The runners wear various athletic outfits and appear focused
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