Life and death are the biggest mysteries that humankind has struggled to understand since the beginning of time. Riddles that explore life, death, and the great beyond not only make us think but also help provide perspective. Here are 77 thought-provoking riddles about life and death, along with their answers.
1. 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”.
2. A doctor and a bus driver are both in love with the same woman, an attractive girl named Sarah. The bus driver had to go on a long bus trip that would last a week. Before he left, he gave Sarah seven apples. Why?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away!
3. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?
The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.
4. What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?
Your name.
5. The more there is, the less you see. What could it be?
Darkness.
6. What has a head and a tail but no body?
A coin.
7. You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?
Corn on the cob.
8. What is always coming but never arrives?
Tomorrow.
9. What can travel all around the world without leaving its corner?
A postage stamp.
10. What goes up and down but doesn’t move?
Stairs.
11. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?
Charcoal.
12. If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven’t got me. What am I?
A secret.
13. I have branches, but no fruit, trunk or leaves. What am I?
A bank.
14. What gets wet while drying?
A towel.
15. What happens once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
The letter M.
16. What starts with the letter “t”, is filled with “t” and ends in “t”?
A teapot.
17. 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 world signifies a great woman. What is the word?
Heroine.
18. What gets bigger the more you take away?
A hole.
19. What can you catch but not throw?
A cold.
20. What never asks questions but receives many answers?
A doorbell.
21. What belongs to you, but others use it more than you?
Your name.
22. People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?
Money.
23. What goes through towns and hills but never moves?
A road.
24. What gets wetter the more it dries?
A towel.
25. When I’m filled, I can point the way. When I’m empty, nothing moves me. I have two skins, one without and one within. What am I?
A glove.
26. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
A stamp.
27. What has many keys but can’t open a single lock?
A piano.
28. What has a thumb and fingers but is not alive?
A glove.
29. What has a face that smiles but has no mouth?
A clock.
30. What goes up and never comes down?
Your age.
31. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
The letter M.
32. What belongs to you but is used more by others?
Your name.
33. I follow you all the time and copy your every move, but you can’t touch me or catch me. What am I?
Your shadow.
34. What building has the most stories?
The library.
35. What is full of holes but still holds water?
A sponge.
36. What goes up but never comes down?
Your age.
37. What comes down but never goes up?
Rain.
38. What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
A towel.
39. What kind of room has no doors or windows?
A mushroom.
40. What has many teeth but can’t bite?
A comb.
41. What has hands but can’t clap?
A clock.
42. What has a head and a tail but no body?
A coin.
43. What goes up but never comes down?
Your age.
44. What comes down but never goes up?
Rain.
45. What gets broken without being held?
A promise.
46. What has four legs but can’t walk?
A table.
47. What has hands but can’t clap?
A clock.
48. What grows bigger the more you take from it?
A hole.
49. What can fill up a room but takes up no space?
Light.
50. If you drop me I’m sure to crack, but give me a smile and I’ll always smile back. What am I?
A mirror.
51. What is broken every time it’s spoken?
Silence.
52. What belongs to you but is used more by others?
Your name.
53. I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?
Seven.
54. What word begins and ends with an ‘e’ but only has one letter?
Envelope.
55. What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?
A penny.
56. What has cities, but no houses; forests, but no trees; and water, but no fish?
A map.
57. What goes up and down without moving?
Stairs.
58. What can you break, even if you never pick it up or touch it?
A promise.
59. I can point in every direction, but I cannot reach anywhere by myself. What am I?
A compass.
60. What’s black and white and red all over?
A newspaper.
61. What can be broken without being held?
A promise.
62. The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Footsteps.
63. I have lakes with no water, mountains with no stone, and cities with no buildings. What am I?
A map.
64. What word looks the same front and back and upside down?
Noon.
65. What flies without wings?
Time.
66. What two letters make you sick if you remove just one?
Il.
67. What is the least number of people that you need to have the possibility of at least three mutual friends or three mutual enemies among them?
Six people.
68. What is nowhere but everywhere, except where something is?
Nothing.
69. What is lighter than a feather but not even the strongest person in the world can hold it for very long?
Breath.
70. What age do all people turn, regardless if they want to or not?
Older.
71. What is black and white and red all over?
A newspaper.
72. 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 world signifies a great woman. What is the word?
Heroine.
73. I have branches, but no fruit, trunk or leaves. What am I?
A bank.
74. What is broken every time it’s spoken?
Silence.
75. What goes through towns and hills but never moves?
A road.
76. What comes down but never goes up?
Rain.
77. Two in a corner, one in a room, zero in a house, but one in a shelter. What am I?
The letter R.
Conclusion
Life and death have always been sources of fascination and contemplation. These thought-provoking riddles encourage us to think outside the box, ponder mortality, and embrace the mysteries of human existence. Some provide clever wordplay, while others give philosophical perspectives on life’s biggest questions. Solving riddles exercises both critical thinking and imagination. More importantly, these brainteasers teach us to maintain curiosity, humility and an open mind – qualities that enrich our lives.
