knotty

adjective

knot·​ty ˈnä-tē 

knottier; knottiest

: marked by or full of knots

especially : so full of difficulties and complications as to be likely to defy solution

a knotty problem

knottiness noun

Synonyms

• baroque
• byzantine
• complex
• complicate
• complicated
• convoluted
• daedal
• elaborate
• intricate
• involute
• involved
• labyrinthian
• labyrinthine
• sophisticated
• tangled

Choose the Right Synonym for knotty

complex, complicated, intricate, involved, knotty mean having confusingly interrelated parts.

complex suggests the unavoidable result of a necessary combining and does not imply a fault or failure.

a complex recipe

complicated applies to what offers great difficulty in understanding, solving, or explaining.

complicated legal procedures

intricate suggests such interlacing of parts as to make it nearly impossible to follow or grasp them separately.

an intricate web of deceit

involved implies extreme complication and often disorder.

a rambling, involved explanation

knotty suggests complication and entanglement that make solution or understanding improbable.

knotty ethical questions

Examples of knotty in a Sentence

the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace

the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues

Recent Examples on the Web

That finding has several important implications, particularly for confronting the knotty question of how people might overcome the tendency to submit to malevolent authority. —Laura Niemi, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2024

There are many knotty problems to solve, ranging from secure custody at institutional scale, to securing regulatory clarity and acceptance. —Sandy Carter, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024

The lifeguards who serve as our heroes are stationed on the North Shore of O’ahu, a place with stunning scenery and, more intriguingly, a host of knotty local issues specific to a geographically remote tourism hotspot. —Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Sep. 2024

Despite these knotty bits, Harvest stands strong and tall, a work solid as an oak. —Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing knotty

• knotty pine

Kids Definition

knotty

adjective

knot·​ty ˈnät-ē 

knottier; knottiest

1

: full of knots

knotty wood

2

: difficult sense 2b

a knotty problem