A recent story about an atrocity in the Middle East said officials had found many "bullet-ridden" bodies. However, I can't find any dictionary that accepts this usage. Shouldn't it be "bullet-riddled"?

The two words to riddle 'to fill with numerous holes; to put through a sieve' and riddle 'conundrum' are not related. The former is from the Middle English ridelen 'to sift' (< Old English hriddel 'sieve'), and the latter is from Old English rædels 'counsel; enigma, riddle; debate'. As for bullet-ridden: it's a common enough occurrence.

Riven would have made sense, but not a related word or meaning.

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As for bullet-ridden: it's a common enough occurrence.

But unaccepted in dics.

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Originally posted by zmježd:
As for bullet-ridden: it's a common enough occurrence.

Maybe by analogy with crime-ridden, devil-ridden, gang-ridden etc.

I've certainly heard it before, and there are more than 500,000 Google hits on it (though some are "riddled" and other things, as often happens when you search for a word in Google). Interesting that the dictionary doesn't cite it, but then we know about those dictionaries!

This is one of those places where my inner editor would have gone with the "riddled" as being more accurate.

WM

I have no idea if this is true, but my interpretation would be that "riddled" means the bullets are all over the man, but "bullet ridden" would mean he may have one, or more, bullets in him.