Riddles about death and life can make us reflect on our own mortality and purpose. Here are 71 thought-provoking riddles about death and life, along with their answers.
Riddles About Death
1. What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?
Silence. Silence is easily “broken” by noise.
2. I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, and water but no fish. What am I?
A map.
3. What gets broken without being held?
A promise.
4. What belongs to you but is used more by others?
Your name.
5. The more there is, the less you see. What could it be?
Darkness.
6. What disappears as soon as you say its name?
Silence.
7. What has a neck but no head?
A bottle.
8. What goes up and never comes down?
Your age.
9. Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?
Nothing.
10. What gets wetter the more it dries?
A towel.
11. What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?
The letter “R”.
12. I make some men blind, I help others to see. What am I?
Darkness.
13. What smells bad when living but good when dead?
Bacon.
14. What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?
A penny.
15. What is always coming but never arrives?
Tomorrow.
16. What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?
Your name.
17. What gets broken without being held?
A promise.
18. I am not alive but I grow; I don’t have lungs but I need air; I don’t have a mouth but water kills me. What am I?
Fire.
19. It tears down homes, rips flesh, finds all weaknesses. It swallows whole cities at a time, relentlessly sweeping forward. What is it?
Death.
20. What can you break, even if you never pick it up or touch it?
A promise.
21. Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?
Nothing.
22. What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?
Your name.
23. I make you weak at the worst of times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat, and your heart grow cold. I visit the weak, but seldom the bold. What am I?
Fear.
24. The more places I be, the less you can see. What am I?
Darkness.
25. What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
Short.
Riddles About Life
26. What belongs to you but is used more by others?
Your name.
27. I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, water but no fish. What am I?
A map.
28. What gets broken without being held?
A promise.
29. What goes up but never comes down?
Your age.
30. What is always coming but never arrives?
Tomorrow.
31. David’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle, and ?
David.
32. What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?
The letter “R”.
33. What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
Short.
34. What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
The letter “M”.
35. What building has the most stories?
The library.
36. What tastes better than it smells?
A tongue.
37. People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?
Money.
38. What is broken every time it’s spoken?
Silence.
39. What gets wetter as it dries?
A towel.
40. What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?
A penny.
41. What has cities but no houses, mountains but no trees, and water but no fish?
A map.
42. What has four fingers and a thumb but is not living?
A glove.
43. What kind of room has no doors or windows?
A mushroom.
44. What has hands but can’t clap?
A clock.
45. What has words but never speaks?
A book.
46. What has a neck but no head?
A bottle.
47. What goes up and down but does not move?
Stairs.
48. The more places I be, the less you can see. What am I?
Darkness.
49. What gets wetter the more it dries?
A towel.
50. What has to be broken before it can be used?
An egg.
51. What starts with “e” and ends with “e” but only has one letter?
An envelope.
52. What belongs to you but other people use it more than you?
Your name.
53. People buy me to eat but never eat me. What am I?
A plate.
54. What gets wetter as it dries?
A towel.
55. What has four wheels and flies?
A garbage truck.
Riddles With a Deeper Meaning
56. What does man love more than life, hate more than death or mortal strife; that which contented men desire; the poor have, the rich require; the miser spends, the spendthrift saves, and all men carry to their graves?
Nothing.
57. I turn around once. What is out will not get in. I turn around again. What is in will not get out. What am I?
A key.
58. What is broken every time it’s spoken?
Silence.
59. I make you weak at the worst of times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat, and your heart grow cold. I visit the weak, but seldom the bold. What am I?
Fear.
60. What is always coming but never arrives?
Tomorrow.
61. What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?
Your name.
62. What is full of holes but still holds water?
A sponge.
63. I have cities but no houses, mountains but no trees, and water but no fish. What am I?
A map.
64. What gets broken without being held?
A promise.
65. What starts with T, ends with T, and has T in it?
A teapot.
66. What is it that given one, you’ll have either two or none?
A choice.
67. What comes down but never goes up?
Rain.
68. What belongs to you but other people use it more than you do?
Your name.
69. It tears down homes, rips flesh, finds all weaknesses. It swallows whole cities at a time, relentlessly sweeping forward. What is it?
Death.
70. What kind of room has no doors or windows?
A mushroom.
71. What can travel around the whole way without moving?
A stamp.
Conclusion
Riddles about death and life often require lateral thinking, wordplay, or philosophical insight to solve. Though morbid, they force us to think about important aspects of existence. The brevity of life, the certainty of death, the power of fear and silence, the purpose of material things – these are just some of the themes touched on in the riddles above. Solving them is an exercise for the mind, reminding us to find meaning amidst the mysteries of the world.
