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

Ramy Youssef’s More Feelings is a knotty sequel to Feelings. —Vulture Editors, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024

Riley doesn’t know what to wear, who to take, or how to feel about an event with new romantic implications, and her dreams are meant to help her untangle each knotty decision. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2024

Thinking this way lets a translator cut through, or simply ignore, a lot of knotty problems. —Max Norman, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024

Look for pieces with knotty wood grain, raw tree bark, and woven twigs in a range of wood species. —Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 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