head-scratcher
Real tough question
A head-scratcher is something puzzling or confusing—a problem that makes you figuratively scratch your head in bewilderment: The ending of that movie was a real head-scratcher.
The term suggests mild bafflement rather than serious difficulty, often with a note of amusement at the oddity of whatever is being described.
Puzzling question to solve
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- stumperUnanswerable question
- paradoxSeemingly absurd truth
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
dilemma · puzzle · brainbuster · poser · teaser · cryptic · knot · labyrinthine
State of being hard
- obstacleSomething blocking the way
- dilemmaForced choice between undesirables
- problemMatter requiring resolution
- hurdleBarrier to leap over
complication · stumbling block · impediment · roadblock · bottleneck · tough nut · pickle · predicament
Mental state of confusion
- bewildermentState of being baffled
- confusionMental disorientation or bewilderment
- bafflementMental state of confusion
- stumpedUnable to solve
flummoxed · mystified · nonplussed · befuddlement · discombobulated · bamboozled · dumbfounded · incomprehension
riddle
Puzzling question to solve
mystery · dilemma · puzzle · brainbuster · poser · teaser · cryptic · knot · labyrinthine · thorny
difficulty
State of being hard
- obstacleSomething blocking the way
- dilemmaForced choice between undesirables
- problemMatter requiring resolution
hurdle · complication · stumbling block · impediment · roadblock · bottleneck · tough nut · pickle · predicament · sticky wicket
perplexity
Mental state of confusion
- bewildermentState of being baffled
- confusionMental disorientation or bewilderment
- bafflementMental state of confusion
stumped · flummoxed · mystified · nonplussed · befuddlement · discombobulated · bamboozled · dumbfounded · incomprehension · clueless
mystery
Something unexplained or unknown
- whodunitCrime fiction identifying perpetrator
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
- twistRotating motion or surprise
thriller · cliffhanger · plot hole · cryptic · cipher · red herring · enigmatic · curious · strange · unexplained
- puzzlespuzzles, sudoku, jigsaw puzzle, puzzle cube, crossword
head-scratcherno-brainer
Self-evident decision
easy answer · cinch · gimme · piece of cake · slam dunk
head-scratcherself-evident truth
Statement needing no proof
foregone conclusion · given · truism · plain as day · crystal clear
headache, heads, scratching, head-scratchers, scratcher, scratchers, scratchings, brain-teaser, head-scratching