Six of these words are verbs for what puzzles do to us: they perplex, baffle, bewilder, confound, befuddle and flummox. The other four name the puzzles and the fixes we find ourselves in. Notice the difference: you are in a quandary, you face a dilemma, and you try to solve a conundrum or an enigma.
Key idea
Verbs (to confuse): perplex, baffle, bewilder, confound, befuddle, flummox. Nouns: conundrum (the hard puzzle itself), quandary (your state of not knowing what to do), dilemma (a hard choice between two options) and enigma (a mystery, often a person).
The ten words
Common mistake
A dilemma is a hard choice between two options, not any problem. A quandary is the uncertain state you are in; a conundrum is the puzzle itself.
| noun | what it is | how you use it |
|---|---|---|
| conundrum | the hard puzzle or problem itself | solve a conundrum |
| quandary | your state of not knowing what to do | be in a quandary |
| dilemma | a hard choice between two options | face a dilemma |
| enigma | a mystery, often a person | remain an enigma |
A dilemma is a hard choice between two options (di- means two), often both unpleasant; don’t use it for just any problem. The six verbs are close cousins, but confound has a second sense, to prove a prediction wrong, and bewilder often suggests being lost among too many things at once.