Riddles are fun brain teasers that challenge our thinking and creativity. They often lead us to unexpected answers and make us laugh. In this collection, we will explore riddles about nothing. These riddles can seem simple but often have hidden meanings or require clever thinking.
You might wonder why someone would create riddles about nothing. The idea of nothingness can be fascinating. It brings to mind concepts like emptiness and absence, as well as related themes like riddles about darkness. As we jump into these mind-bending questions, get ready to think outside the box and have some fun!
Next, let’s look at the best riddles about nothing, complete with answers and explanations.
Table of Contents
Best Riddles About Nothing With Answers
Riddles about nothing can be tricky yet entertaining. They often make us think deeply about the meaning behind simple words. Here are some engaging riddles that focus on the concept of nothingness. Each one comes with an answer and a brief explanation to help you understand the cleverness behind it.
1. What can come down but never go up?
Answer: Rain.
Explanation: Rain falls from the sky, but once it reaches the ground, it cannot rise back up.
2. What can be made but nobody can see?
Answer: A secret.
Explanation: Secrets are created in our minds but cannot be seen by anyone else.
3. What has words but never speaks?
Answer: A book.
Explanation: Books contain written words, but they don’t make sounds on their own.
4. What has a bed but never sleeps?
Answer: A river.
Explanation: Rivers have “beds” where the water flows, but they do not sleep like a living creature.
5. What runs but never goes anywhere?
Answer: A clock.
Explanation: A clock runs continuously, showing time, but it stays in one place.
6. What can you break without touching?
Answer: A promise.
Explanation: Promises are commitments made verbally and can be broken without any physical action.
7. What has a neck but no head?
Answer: A bottle.
Explanation: A bottle has a part called a neck, but it doesn’t have a head like a person or animal.
8. What has a heart that doesn’t beat?
Answer: An artichoke.
Explanation: The heart of an artichoke is the tender part at the center, but it doesn’t beat like a living heart.
9. What can be seen in the water but never in the sky?
Answer: A fish.
Explanation: Fish live in water and can be seen swimming, but they do not fly in the sky.
10. What can you catch but not throw?
Answer: A cold.
Explanation: You can “catch” a cold when you get sick, but it’s not something you can physically throw.
11. What has keys but can’t open locks?
Answer: A piano.
Explanation: A piano has keys that produce music but cannot open physical locks.
12. What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?
Answer: The future.
Explanation: The future lies ahead of us, but it is unknown and cannot be observed.
13. What gets wetter as it dries?
Answer: A towel.
Explanation: A towel absorbs water when it dries something else off, becoming wetter itself.
14. What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: Silence is easily disturbed; even saying the word “silence” can break it.
15. What can fill a room but takes up no space?
Answer: Light.
Explanation: Light illuminates a room but doesn’t occupy any physical area.
16. What is empty yet can fill a space?
Answer: A vacuum.
Explanation: A vacuum is a space void of matter, but it can be filled with air or other substances.
17. What runs all around a backyard yet never moves?
Answer: A fence.
Explanation: A fence surrounds an area but remains in place, providing a boundary.
18. What can be lost but never found?
Answer: Time.
Explanation: Once time is gone, it cannot be retrieved, making it feel lost.
19. What can you hear but never see?
Answer: Noise.
Explanation: Noises can be heard, but they do not have a visible form.
20. What can be empty but is full of potential?
Answer: A canvas.
Explanation: An empty canvas has no images on it, but it holds the potential for many artistic creations.
Riddles About Nothing for Kids
Riddles are a fantastic way for kids to use their imagination and sharpen their thinking skills. The following collection features riddles centered on the idea of nothing. Each riddle is designed to be fun and engaging while encouraging kids to think creatively.
1. What has no weight, but can be felt?
Answer: A thought.
Explanation: Thoughts can have a big impact on us, but they don’t have any physical weight.
2. What can go up but never comes down?
Answer: Your age.
Explanation: As time passes, everyone gets older, but age never decreases.
3. What is so light that even a feather can’t lift it?
Answer: Nothing.
Explanation: Nothing has no weight at all, so even the lightest object cannot lift it.
4. What can be in a room but isn’t really there?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: Silence can fill a space, but it has no physical presence.
5. What gets smaller every time you use it?
Answer: A bar of soap.
Explanation: As you use soap, it becomes smaller until it is used up.
6. What is always empty but can hold a lot?
Answer: A bucket.
Explanation: A bucket can be empty when not in use but can hold water or other items.
7. What has a lot of space but no room?
Answer: The sky.
Explanation: The sky is vast and open, yet it does not have physical rooms like a house.
8. What can be made but cannot be seen?
Answer: A plan.
Explanation: Plans are created in our minds, so they cannot be seen until they are acted upon.
9. What has no voice but can talk?
Answer: A book.
Explanation: Books don’t speak out loud, but their stories can communicate ideas and emotions.
10. What can be broken but is not a physical object?
Answer: A rule.
Explanation: Rules can be ignored or broken, but they are not tangible items.
11. What can fill a pocket but doesn’t weigh anything?
Answer: Air.
Explanation: Air can fill any space, including a pocket, but it is weightless.
12. What can be held in your hand but isn’t solid?
Answer: A dream.
Explanation: Dreams are experiences that happen when we sleep, and they can’t be physically held.
13. What has nothing inside but can still make noise?
Answer: A drum.
Explanation: A drum can be empty inside, yet it produces sound when struck.
14. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
Answer: A stamp.
Explanation: A stamp is placed in the corner of an envelope but can be sent all over the globe.
15. What is invisible but can be everywhere?
Answer: Air.
Explanation: Air surrounds us all the time, but we can’t see it with our eyes.
Riddles About Nothing for Adults
Riddles can be a great way for adults to engage their minds and enjoy a challenge. The following riddles about nothing offer a mix of cleverness and humor, encouraging deep thought while exploring the theme of emptiness and absence.
1. What can be filled but is never full?
Answer: A bottomless pit.
Explanation: A bottomless pit can take in whatever is thrown into it but never reaches fullness.
2. What can be heard but never seen?
Answer: A whisper.
Explanation: Whispers can be soft sounds that carry but are not visible to the eye.
3. What is more powerful than a god and dead people eat it?
Answer: Nothing.
Explanation: This riddle plays on the idea that nothing is greater than a god, and dead people need nothing.
4. What can be present but feels absent?
Answer: A ghost.
Explanation: Ghosts can haunt places but are often felt more than they are seen.
5. What is always there but never in sight?
Answer: The past.
Explanation: The past is a constant part of our lives, yet it cannot be viewed in the present moment.
6. What disappears the moment you say its name?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: Saying the word “silence” disrupts it, causing it to vanish.
7. What is the only thing that is truly yours but is often lost?
Answer: Time.
Explanation: Time belongs to everyone but can feel wasted or lost throughout life.
8. What can be broken but cannot be touched?
Answer: Trust.
Explanation: Trust can be shattered through actions or words, but it is not a physical object.
9. What can be big or small but never actually exists?
Answer: A fantasy.
Explanation: Fantasies can occupy our thoughts and imaginations, yet they do not exist in reality.
10. What can change everything but is invisible?
Answer: An idea.
Explanation: Ideas can transform the world and our perspectives, yet they cannot be seen.
11. What can be heavy or light, but can never be weighed?
Answer: A decision.
Explanation: Decisions can feel significant or trivial, but they have no physical weight.
12. What has no life, yet can die?
Answer: A relationship.
Explanation: Relationships can end or fade away, but they are not living entities.
13. What can be left behind but still travels with you?
Answer: A memory.
Explanation: Memories stay with us, even as we move forward in life.
14. What is everywhere but never appears?
Answer: Air.
Explanation: Air surrounds us constantly, yet it is not something we can see.
15. What can you have in abundance but still feel empty?
Answer: Wealth.
Explanation: Many people can have great riches yet feel a lack of fulfillment.
16. What can be lost but has no physical form?
Answer: Hope.
Explanation: Hope is an emotion or feeling that can diminish without being a tangible object.
17. What has no legs but can still run?
Answer: A river.
Explanation: Rivers flow quickly and can “run,” even though they do not have legs.
Easy Riddles About Nothing
Riddles can be a delightful way for everyone, especially kids, to think outside the box. Here are some easy riddles focused on the concept of nothing. They are straightforward, fun, and perfect for sparking curiosity!
1. What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?
Answer: The future.
Explanation: The future is always ahead of us, but we cannot see what it holds.
2. What is something that can be broken without being touched?
Answer: A promise.
Explanation: Promises are commitments made with words and can be broken by not following through.
3. What can you catch but not throw?
Answer: A cold.
Explanation: A cold can be caught as an illness but cannot be physically thrown.
4. What can run but never walks?
Answer: A river.
Explanation: Rivers flow continuously, but they don’t walk like a person or animal.
5. What can you fill with water but is always empty?
Answer: A sieve.
Explanation: A sieve can hold water temporarily but lets it flow through, so it’s never full.
6. What is something that can be seen in the dark but isn’t real?
Answer: A shadow.
Explanation: Shadows appear when light is blocked but are not solid objects.
7. What can be cracked but is not a nut?
Answer: A joke.
Explanation: Jokes can be “cracked” or told to make people laugh, but they are not physical items.
8. What disappears as soon as you say its name?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: When you speak, you break the silence, making it go away.
9. What has keys but cannot open locks?
Answer: A piano.
Explanation: A piano has keys that produce music but cannot unlock doors.
10. What is always hungry but never eats?
Answer: A fire.
Explanation: Fire consumes fuel and needs it to burn but does not eat like a living being.
11. What goes up but never comes down?
Answer: Your age.
Explanation: As time passes, we grow older, and our age increases without decreasing.
12. What can be seen and not touched?
Answer: Air.
Explanation: Air surrounds us and can be felt, but it cannot be seen or held.
13. What has words but never speaks?
Answer: A book.
Explanation: Books contain text and stories but cannot vocalize them on their own.
14. What can be found in a corner but is not a physical object?
Answer: A thought.
Explanation: Thoughts can come to mind anywhere, including in the corners of our minds.
15. What can be broken, but is not a thing?
Answer: A heart.
Explanation: A heart can be emotionally hurt or broken, even though it is not a physical item.
Hard Riddles About Nothing
These hard riddles dive into the mysterious and abstract ideas surrounding nothingness, absence, and the unknown. Perfect for a mind-bending challenge, these riddles require deeper thinking and are sure to keep you guessing!
1. What can be seen when there is no light?
Answer: Darkness.
Explanation: Darkness only appears when light is absent, making it visible only in the absence of light.
2. I am always full of nothing and yet cannot be empty. What am I?
Answer: A black hole.
Explanation: A black hole appears empty but is filled with intense gravity and energy, pulling everything inside.
3. What can be shared endlessly but is never reduced?
Answer: Knowledge.
Explanation: Knowledge can be spread without losing any of its own, making it infinite.
4. I exist only when something else does, yet I can vanish in an instant. What am I?
Answer: A shadow.
Explanation: Shadows need a light source and an object to block it, and they disappear when light is gone.
5. You cannot feel me, but I can make you feel empty. What am I?
Answer: Loneliness.
Explanation: Loneliness is an emotion that can create an empty feeling, even though it has no physical form.
6. I am everywhere but nowhere. I can fill any space but take up none. What am I?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: Silence can be present in any environment, though it occupies no physical space.
7. What is priceless yet costs nothing, and grows the more it is given away?
Answer: Kindness.
Explanation: Acts of kindness are free, and the more kindness is shown, the more it spreads.
8. I am something you will never see and can never touch, yet everyone knows I am there. What am I?
Answer: Time.
Explanation: Time is an invisible concept that cannot be held, yet it is known and felt by all.
9. I am not a living thing, yet I can die. I exist only when you believe in me. What am I?
Answer: Hope.
Explanation: Hope can fade or disappear, and it exists only in our beliefs and thoughts.
10. What cannot exist in the light and vanishes when the sun rises?
Answer: Night.
Explanation: Night is the period when light from the sun is absent, disappearing each morning.
11. I can hold all the knowledge in the world yet make no sound. What am I?
Answer: A library.
Explanation: Libraries are quiet places full of knowledge contained in books, yet they themselves make no noise.
12. I have no beginning or end, yet I am the path all must walk. What am I?
Answer: Infinity.
Explanation: Infinity represents an endless concept without start or finish, a path that never concludes.
13. I am a part of everything but exist only when ignored. What am I?
Answer: Emptiness.
Explanation: Emptiness is the feeling of a void that arises in the absence of attention or purpose.
Funny Riddles About Nothing
These funny riddles play with the idea of “nothing” in a humorous way, using clever twists and jokes to make you think and laugh at the same time. Perfect for a lighthearted puzzle session!
1. What’s as light as a feather, but even the strongest person in the world can’t hold it for very long?
Answer: Your breath.
Explanation: Breathing is light and easy but you can’t hold it forever without letting it go!
2. What’s something everyone has that is completely useless?
Answer: The back of their head!
Explanation: You can never see the back of your own head, so it’s there but practically invisible to you.
3. Why did the nothing cross the road?
Answer: To show it really had nothing to do!
Explanation: The joke here plays on the idea of doing “nothing” just for the sake of it.
4. What’s always empty even when it’s full?
Answer: A hole.
Explanation: No matter how deep, a hole is always “full” of emptiness.
5. What has nothing in it but is everywhere?
Answer: Air.
Explanation: Air is all around us, yet we don’t see it or feel its weight.
6. What do you get if you divide zero by zero?
Answer: Nothing but trouble!
Explanation: Dividing zero by zero is mathematically impossible, so the answer is “nothing.”
7. Why did the blank page feel so relaxed?
Answer: Because it had no lines to worry about!
Explanation: A blank page is simple, free from writing or lines—just empty and calm.
8. What can go down but never come up again, yet weighs nothing?
Answer: A sigh.
Explanation: A sigh comes out but doesn’t return, and it has no weight.
9. I am invisible, but you can still hear me when you let me go. What am I?
Answer: A burp.
Explanation: Though not visible, a burp makes noise and is known when it happens.
10. What’s something everyone knows exists but can’t actually see?
Answer: Nothing!
Explanation: “Nothing” itself is the answer, as it’s known but not seen.
11. Why did nothing go to the party?
Answer: Because it heard it would be a blast!
Explanation: Nothing going to a “blast” is ironic because there’s nothing to explode.
12. What is completely free but is still priceless?
Answer: A smile.
Explanation: Smiles are free to give, yet they’re valued for the joy they bring.
13. Why did the empty glass win an award?
Answer: Because it was outstanding in its field of nothingness!
Explanation: The joke plays on the “field” being an empty, wide-open space.
14. I can fit in your hand but have no weight, and I’ll be gone if you open it. What am I?
Answer: A secret.
Explanation: A secret can be held quietly, but once revealed, it “disappears.”
15. Why did zero break up with itself?
Answer: Because it felt like they had nothing in common!
Explanation: Zero is just “nothing” twice over, making a funny play on “nothing in common.”
16. I’m known by everyone but owned by no one, and if you try to show me, I disappear. What am I?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: Silence disappears the moment anyone speaks or tries to “show” it.
17. What gets wetter as it dries?
Answer: A towel.
Explanation: Towels dry things off by soaking up water, getting wetter as they dry.
Tricky Riddles About Nothing
These tricky riddles focus on the strange, puzzling, and surprising sides of “nothing.” Each riddle has a twist, challenging you to think from a new angle or look deeper into the question. Ready to test your wits?
1. What is something you can hold without using your hands or arms?
Answer: Your breath.
Explanation: You can “hold” your breath by not breathing out, but it doesn’t require your hands.
2. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Answer: The letter “M.”
Explanation: The letter “M” appears only once in the word “minute,” twice in “moment,” and not at all in “a thousand years.”
3. What’s everywhere but only seen when it’s missing?
Answer: Light.
Explanation: We notice light’s absence as darkness, making light visible by what it leaves behind.
4. The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Answer: Footsteps.
Explanation: Each step leaves another print behind as you walk.
5. I can fill a room but take up no space. What am I?
Answer: Light.
Explanation: Light brightens a room but doesn’t have weight or mass.
6. What is as big as an elephant but weighs nothing?
Answer: The elephant’s shadow.
Explanation: Shadows mimic the shape of objects but are made only of darkness, having no weight.
7. I am a five-letter word that becomes shorter when you add two letters to me. What am I?
Answer: Short.
Explanation: By adding “er” to “short,” the word “shorter” is created, playing with both the meaning and length.
8. What disappears every time you say its name?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: Speaking breaks silence, making it “disappear.”
9. What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?
Answer: The future.
Explanation: The future lies ahead of us, yet it remains unknown and unseen.
10. I exist only when you don’t, but if you do, I vanish. What am I?
Answer: A dream.
Explanation: Dreams exist when you’re asleep; when you wake, they disappear.
11. What has keys but can’t open any doors?
Answer: A piano.
Explanation: A piano has keys that produce music, not for unlocking doors.
12. I can travel around the world but always stay in one corner. What am I?
Answer: A stamp.
Explanation: A postage stamp stays on a letter as it travels, usually attached to the corner.
13. What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, and if you eat it, you die?
Answer: Nothing.
Explanation: The riddle hints at “nothing” as the only thing matching these extremes.
14. I am not alive, but I can grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air. What am I?
Answer: Fire.
Explanation: Fire isn’t a living thing, but it needs oxygen and grows with fuel.
15. What has words but never speaks?
Answer: A book.
Explanation: Books contain written words that are read but do not speak on their own.
Twisted Riddles About Nothing
These twisted riddles dive into the strange and unexpected world of “nothingness.” They’ll stretch your mind and might leave you laughing, puzzled, or both! Each one takes a unique view on things that seem invisible, impossible, or just plain weird. Are you ready for these tricky questions?
1. I have a start but no end, a word but no sound. What am I?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: Silence begins but has no ending, and though it’s “heard,” it makes no sound.
2. I am the beginning of the end and the end of every place. What am I?
Answer: The letter “E.”
Explanation: The letter “E” is in words like “end” and “place,” appearing in both unexpected and obvious places.
3. The more you look for me, the less you see me. What am I?
Answer: Darkness.
Explanation: When you search in the dark, vision dims, and seeing becomes harder.
4. I fly without wings and cry without eyes. What am I?
Answer: Clouds.
Explanation: Clouds “fly” in the sky and “cry” when it rains, yet they have no wings or eyes.
5. I can run but never get tired; I can pass but never be caught. What am I?
Answer: Time.
Explanation: Time keeps moving and can’t be paused or held, even though it “runs.”
6. What is it that you can keep after giving it to someone else?
Answer: Your word.
Explanation: When you make a promise or give your word, you still “keep” it even after sharing it.
7. What begins with T, is full of T, and ends with T?
Answer: A teapot.
Explanation: The word starts and ends with “T,” and teapots are full of tea.
8. I can be as light as a feather, yet no one can hold me for very long. What am I?
Answer: Breath.
Explanation: Breath is weightless, but no one can hold it indefinitely.
9. I vanish the moment you speak my name. What am I?
Answer: Silence.
Explanation: As soon as you make any noise, the silence disappears.
10. I am not alive, but I can still die. What am I?
Answer: A battery.
Explanation: Though inanimate, batteries “die” or lose power when they run out of charge.
11. I am greater than all, yet less than nothing. What am I?
Answer: Infinity.
Explanation: Infinity is beyond measure, yet is conceptually linked to emptiness or absence in some ways.
12. You can catch me but cannot throw me. What am I?
Answer: A cold.
Explanation: You “catch” a cold when sick, but you can’t throw it away or pass it physically.
13. What grows larger the more you take away?
Answer: A hole.
Explanation: Removing material from a hole only makes it bigger.
Conclusion
Riddles about “nothing” show us that sometimes the most puzzling ideas come from things we can’t see, touch, or even fully understand. From tricky questions to twisted puzzles, these riddles help us explore ideas like emptiness, invisibility, and the unknown.
Each riddle, whether funny or mysterious, has been a journey into the unknown and the absurd, reminding us that the concept of “nothing” can hold countless surprises. As we’ve seen, something as simple as “nothing” can open up an entire world of puzzles, laughter, and endless questions. Riddles don’t just entertain—they make us think in new ways and appreciate the power of imagination.
Keep exploring, keep puzzling, and remember—sometimes the answer lies in “nothing” at all!
