472 "What Am I?" Riddles With Answers - page 2 of 5
I help engines spin and pants stay up. What am I?
A drive belt keeps an engine's parts spinning together, and a clothing belt keeps a person's pants cinched up.
A hand without flesh and nothing can I hold. My grip cannot be used until I am sold. What am I?
An empty glove is a hollow hand shape that only becomes functional once someone buys it and slips their hand inside.
I am the kind of food monkeys like, and people slip on me and fall in cartoons. What am I?
Bananas are a favorite monkey snack, and a banana peel is a classic slapstick cartoon gag for someone slipping.
You can throw me away, but I will always be coming back. What am I?
A boomerang is designed to fly back to the person who threw it, no matter how far it's tossed.
I do not eat food. But I do enjoy a light meal everyday. What am I?
A houseplant doesn't eat food, but it needs regular sunlight — a 'light meal' — to survive.
I am a daily ritual involving using a metal tool on the body. What am I?
Shaving is a daily grooming habit that traditionally uses a metal razor blade against the skin.
I get paid to shoot people, then blow them up. What am I?
A photographer 'shoots' photos of people, and printing large copies is called 'blowing up' a photo -- both harmless photography terms.
I am alive without breath and cold as death. I am never thirsty but always drinking. What am I?
A fish is cold-blooded, breathes through gills instead of lungs, and constantly takes in water through its mouth, though it never gets thirsty.
I am a box who holds keys but not locks. With the right combination I may unlock your soul. What am I?
A piano is a box-shaped instrument full of keys (not lock keys), and playing the right combination of notes can be deeply moving.
I let water fall on you while everyone else stays dry. What am I?
A shower head is positioned to soak the person standing under it while everyone else in the room stays completely dry.
I fly in the air without engines and I am controlled by man on the ground. What am I?
A kite has no engine, soars purely on the wind, and is steered from the ground by a person holding its string.
I can fill a house or fill your mouth but you can never catch me in your hands. What am I?
Smoke can billow to fill an entire room or be inhaled into your mouth, but it always slips right through grasping hands.
Sometimes I fly as fast as the speed of light. Sometimes I crawl as slow as a snail. Unknown until I am measured but you will certainly miss me when I'm gone. What am I?
Time can feel like it flies or crawls depending on the moment, is only truly measured with a clock, and is always missed once it has passed.
You turn me over after you have traveled far. What am I?
An odometer's digits 'turn over' (roll past a milestone like 100,000) once a vehicle has traveled far enough.
I remain unseen but hold many things, and when you are making a decision you consult me. What am I?
Your own mind holds countless unseen thoughts and memories, and you naturally consult it before making any decision.
Makeup for finger tips. What am I?
Nail polish is a cosmetic product applied specifically to the fingertips (nails).
You can break me, and I still work. If you touch me, you're mine. What am I?
A heart can be figuratively 'broken' (heartbreak) yet keep beating (still working), and if someone 'touches your heart,' they win you over.
I drive men mad for the love of me. Easily beaten, never free. What am I?
Gold has driven people to obsession throughout history, and it can be hammered ('beaten') into thin sheets, yet no one can truly own it forever.
Deposit red liquid in me. What am I?
A blood bank is where donors 'deposit' (donate) blood, playing on the financial meaning of 'bank' and 'deposit.'
I am a man without bones, without blood, without life. My flesh is white, cold and shrinking. What am I?
A snowman has no skeleton or blood, and being made of snow, it slowly shrinks and melts away.
Without feather or wing I fly, but you'll know what I am when I hover near by. What am I?
A helicopter has no feathers, but its distinct whirring blades make it instantly recognizable overhead.
I'll shout till you wake or sing you to sleep. I'll talk to you but you're crazy if you talk back. What am I?
A radio can blast loud music to wake you or play something soothing to lull you to sleep, and talking back to it would just be talking to yourself.
I have six faces but not even one body connected, 21 eyes in total but cannot see. What am I?
A standard six-sided die has pips totaling 21 (1 through 6 added together) across its faces, none of which can actually see.
I save lives on the ground and in the air. What am I?
A seatbelt is worn in cars and required on airplanes, protecting passengers on the ground and in the air alike.
At the sound of me, you may stomp your feet, but you may also dream or weep. What am I?
Music can be stirring enough to make you dance and stomp your feet, or emotional enough to move you to tears or daydreams.
I am the second L in LOL. What am I?
'LOL' stands for 'laugh out loud,' and its second letter, L, stands for the word 'loud.'
Four leaves I have. What am I?
The given answer is 'shamrock,' though technically a shamrock has three leaves -- a rare four-leaf clover is the specific lucky variant with four leaves.
A hole in a pole. Though I fill a hole in white, I'm used more by the day and less by the night. What am I?
A lightbulb screws into a socket ('hole'), glows white, and gets far more use after dark than during daylight hours.
Soft, hairy, from door to door. I am the pet that always stays on the floor. What am I?
This is a pun: a soft carpet stretches wall-to-wall ('door to door') and is jokingly called 'the pet that always stays on the floor.'
If you lose me you may cause people around me to lose me too. What am I?
One person's temper flaring up can quickly set off a chain reaction, causing everyone nearby to lose theirs as well.
You must keep this thing, its loss will affect your brothers. For once yours is lost, it will soon be lost by others. What am I?
Losing your temper tends to be contagious — once one person snaps, it often triggers others around them to lose theirs too.
I have married many women but have never been married. What am I?
A priest performs many wedding ceremonies, 'marrying' couples, without ever being married himself.
I am bushy headed but have no hair. No moisture will enter my skin, but it's good at keeping it in. What am I?
This describes a tree's rough, textured bark: it looks 'bushy' at its crown of branches, and its bark keeps moisture locked inside the trunk.
I stink up your breath and fight evil vampires. What am I?
Garlic leaves a strong smell on the breath and is a well-known folkloric charm said to repel vampires.
I am a time for gathering crops. Remove the first three letters I become an object you can wear. What am I?
'Harvest' minus its first three letters ('har') leaves 'vest,' a wearable garment.
I am everywhere. I am inside you. I surround you. I can be seen by you. I can kill you. Yet you play in me. What am I?
Air is all around and inside every living thing; it can be deadly in a storm, yet it's also what makes play and sport (like flying a kite) possible.
Never was, I am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, to live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I?
The future never truly 'arrives' — by the time it does, it's already the present — yet everyone lives trusting it will come.
I am a protector. I sit on a bridge. One person can see right through me, while others wonder what I hide. What am I?
Sunglasses perch on the bridge of your nose, letting you see out while hiding your eyes from others.
I was not born, but I am here. I have no name, but I am given many. I was made by science and life. What am I?
A clone isn't born in the traditional sense but is created through science using existing genetic material from life.
I moan, I groan, I chase after you. I never seem to rest. Time's up for you. What am I?
The source's answer here loosely evokes labor pains -- moaning, restless contractions that chase toward a final moment -- ending in the arrival of children; it's a weaker, more figurative fit than most riddles in this set.
Round as a button, deep as a well. If you want me to talk, you must first pull my tail. What am I?
An old-fashioned bell is round like a button, deep like a well, and rings when you pull its rope or clapper 'tail.'
I describe a toilet cleaner as well as one of Santa's reindeer. What am I?
Comet is both a brand of household toilet cleaner and the name of one of Santa's famous reindeer.
You shoot me but I don't die. You hang me but I don't die. What am I?
You 'shoot' a picture with a camera and 'hang' it on a wall, and in neither case does the picture actually die.
Break me but I'll continue to work, touch me and maybe I'll stay with you forever. What am I?
A broken heart figuratively 'breaks' but keeps beating, and something that 'touches your heart' can stay with you as a lasting memory.
Although it sounds like I work on a transportation device, I actually work in a restaurant. What am I?
'Busboy' sounds like it means someone who works on a bus, but it actually names the restaurant worker who clears tables.
Born from a fountain of wealth, I am black instead of gold but valued the same. What am I?
Oil is often called 'black gold' because, like a gushing fountain of wealth, it's an enormously valuable resource despite being black instead of gold-colored.
I mean goodbye for South Americans. What am I?
'Adios' is the common Spanish word for 'goodbye,' widely used across South America.
I can be full, but I will never spill. I disappear at times, but return I always will. What am I?
The moon can appear fully round ('full') but never actually spills anything, and it seems to vanish during its new-moon phase before always returning.
I am one small little piece of paper, yet sometimes hold lots of value. I am all you need to get into big events, but will cost you. I am an important part of travel. And if lost, you're not coming. What am I?
An event ticket is small and easily lost, but without it in hand, you can't get in — and if you're traveling, you're not getting anywhere either.
Fatherless and motherless. Born without sin, roared when it came into the world. And never spoke again. What am I?
This describes thunder as a mythic figure: it has no parents, is a natural (sinless) force, roars with a boom, and then falls silent again.
I cannot be burned in fire or drowned in water. What am I?
Ice doesn't literally burn in fire (it melts) or drown in water (it dissolves), so neither element destroys it the way the riddle implies.
The time between daylight and darkness when blood drinkers like to come out. What am I?
Twilight is the transitional period between day and night, often associated with vampires in folklore and pop culture.
Digital white-out. What am I?
'Delete' is the digital equivalent of white-out -- it removes text or content, just like correction fluid does on paper.
You heard me before, and then again. Afterward I die, until you call me again. What am I?
An echo repeats a sound and then fades away completely, only returning again when a new sound calls it back.
I live above a star who never burns. I have 11 neighbors but they never turn. My initials are p, q, r, and sometimes s. What am I?
On a classic phone keypad, the '7' key sits above the star (a symbol, not a burning star) with 11 other keys as neighbors and carries the letters P, Q, R, and S.
I run up and down the stairs without moving. What am I?
A stair runner rug lies fixed along the steps, giving the illusion of constant motion up and down without ever actually moving.
I am a caribbean shape that makes ships disappear. What am I?
The Bermuda Triangle is a region of the western Atlantic famous in folklore for the mysterious disappearance of ships and planes.
I can speak with my hard metal tongue. But I cannot breathe, for I have no lung. What am I?
A bell has a metal 'tongue,' its clapper, that strikes to produce sound, but it obviously has no lungs to breathe with.
I am free the first time and second time, but the third time is going to cost you money. What am I?
People get two sets of teeth naturally at no cost -- baby teeth, then adult teeth -- but further dental work, like removing troublesome wisdom teeth, will cost you money at the dentist.
Step on me and you'll reach the top first, but step under me and you're cursed. What am I?
Climbing a ladder's rungs gets you up quickly, but superstition says walking underneath one brings bad luck.
You hold my tail while I fish for you. What am I?
A fishing net has a 'tail' end that trails behind while it's dragged through the water to catch fish for you.
I make things short, but I am pretty long myself. What am I?
The word 'abbreviation' is itself a long word, even though its whole purpose is to shorten other words or phrases.
I look like a tiny trombone. What am I?
A standard bent paperclip has a curved, sliding shape reminiscent of a miniature trombone.
I am a king but also a common device of measure. What am I?
'Ruler' means both a king who rules a country and a flat measuring tool used to draw straight lines.
I am always around you but often forgotten. I am pure and clean most of the time, but occasionally rotten. What am I?
Air surrounds us constantly and goes unnoticed, is usually fresh and clean, but can sometimes smell foul or 'rotten.'
At first I am a yellow weed in the lawn, and then the wind blows, and my white feathers are gone. What am I?
A dandelion starts life as a yellow lawn weed, then turns into a white puffball whose seeds scatter in the wind.
You can build or destroy. Let creativity soar but be careful at night. What am I?
Minecraft is a video game centered on building and destroying block structures, and its nighttime brings out dangerous monsters.
You may have many of me but never enough. After the last one arrives you will have no more. What am I?
You celebrate many birthdays over a lifetime and always want more, but once your very last birthday has come and gone, there won't be another.
I can be heard in a court or carried with you. What am I?
A 'case' is heard in court (a court case) and is also something you carry with you (a briefcase/suitcase) -- the riddle plays on both meanings of the word.
I am black, white, and read all over. What am I?
This is a classic pun: newspapers are printed in black and white, and people 'read' them all over -- sounding like 'red' all over.
I am blinding at times yet help you see. I am necessary, but you'll burn with too much of me. What am I?
Sunlight lets you see the world but can blind you if stared at directly, and too much exposure causes sunburn.
I begin and have no end. Eventually I will be the ending of all that has begun. What am I?
Death has no end once it begins, and it is the eventual conclusion awaiting everything that has ever begun (been born).
I'm not a bird, but I can fly through the sky. I'm not a river, but I'm full of water. What am I?
A cloud drifts through the sky like a flying creature without being alive, and it's saturated with water despite not being a river.
I am an activity involving pins flying in the air. What am I?
Jugglers commonly toss and catch bowling-pin-shaped objects, keeping several pins flying through the air at once.
We applaud if you perform well. What am I?
An audience watches a performance and claps when the performer does well.
For most, I am fast. For others, I am slow. An obsession to all, I make the world go. What am I?
Time can feel like it flies or drags depending on the moment, everyone is fixated on it, and it keeps moving the world forward.
I am not a toy, though many use me for pleasure. I have a butt, but I cannot poop. What am I?
A cigarette is smoked for pleasure, and its leftover end is literally called a "butt," though obviously not a body part.
I will go within you, and destroy you. Only because you wanted me to. What am I?
Drugs can spread destructively through the body, but only because a person made the choice to use them.
I help boats park. What am I?
An anchor is dropped to keep a boat from drifting once it's parked ('parking meter' of the sea).
I see what you see, feel what you feel, and hear what you hear. I know all of your moves before you make them. I even know the moves you didn't make. What am I?
The brain processes every sight, sound, and sensation you experience and generates every decision, including the ones you ultimately don't act on.
I am black and white and full of fuzz. What am I?
"Fuzz" is old slang for the police, and classic police cars are painted in a black-and-white pattern.
Though I am dark, Adam married me. What am I?
According to the biblical story, Eve was Adam's wife, and the riddle's 'dark' clue is a play on the word 'eve' as in evening.
My rings are not worth much, but they do tell my age. What am I?
A cross-section of a tree trunk reveals concentric growth rings, one added per year, that reveal its age.
I have a head and a tail but my eyes can never see my tail. What am I?
A coin has two 'faces' (its front and back designs), but since they're printed on opposite sides, one side can never actually see the other.
I can be found after you remove 6 letters from BSAINXLEATEARS. What am I?
This is a hidden-word letter puzzle; after removing the extra letters from the scrambled string, the source's intended remaining word is "banana" (the scrambled text itself appears somewhat garbled by the PDF extraction).
Light me up in backyard gatherings. What am I?
Charcoal briquettes are the classic fuel lit to fire up a backyard barbecue grill.
I am young in the sun and trapped to be aged. Held in a bottle but opening is delayed. What am I?
Wine grapes ripen young in the sun before being fermented and sealed in a bottle to age, often left unopened for years.
Many hear me, but no one sees me, and I only speak when spoken to. What am I?
An echo only exists as a repeated sound and is heard by many, though it can never be seen, and it always answers back only after something else speaks first.
I am a fire's best friend. When fat, my body fills with wind. When pushed to thin, through my nose I blow. Then you can watch the embers glow. What am I?
A bellows fills with air when expanded ("fat") and, when squeezed thin, forces air out its nozzle ("nose") to fan flames and make embers glow.
I count time, but have no end. Tick tick, but I am not a clock. What am I?
A metronome ticks steadily to keep musical time, running as long as needed, but it isn't a clock and doesn't tell the actual time of day.
Find me on body builders or in the drink aisle. What am I?
"Six-pack" describes both toned abdominal muscles on a bodybuilder and a six-pack of canned drinks at the store.
I go up and never come down no matter how hard you wish. As I get higher, more wrinkles crawl on to the face. What am I?
A person's age only ever increases, and getting older tends to bring more wrinkles along with it.
I am a lunch money thief. What am I?
Stealing other kids' lunch money is the classic stereotype behavior of a schoolyard bully.
I widen my jaws when you poke two fingers in me. I especially like to devour papers. What am I?
A pair of scissors' blades open wide ('jaws') when your fingers slip into its holes, and it easily slices through paper.
I can't go left, I can't go right. I am forever stuck in a building over three stories high. What am I?
An elevator only moves up and down along its shaft, never side to side, and is common in taller buildings.
I am sometimes white but usually black. I take you there, but I never bring you back. What am I?
A hearse, usually black but sometimes white, transports the deceased to their burial and never brings them home.
I can alter the actions of a king and leave puzzled the greatest of philosophers. What am I?
This old riddle plays on the long-standing (and rather dated) notion that a woman's influence can sway even a king's decisions while remaining endlessly mysterious to philosophers.
I am expelled from you orally with a sound. What am I?
A burp is air expelled from the stomach through the mouth, usually accompanied by a distinct sound.
I am always around, but in the morning I show. You'll know it's me from my golden glow. What am I?
Sunlight is present even when hidden by clouds, but it's most visible each morning, painting the sky with its golden glow.
I belong to everyone. Sometimes I make you happy, sometimes I make you sad. I will never end until the day you do. What am I?
Human thoughts belong uniquely to each person, can swing between happy and sad, and only stop when that person's life does.