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’s a heavy topic for a zombie show to take on, of course, but the series so far seems to be following the example of the game, which attempts to immerse players in the middle of morally knotty situations. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 May 2025

This serum also did wonders for my typically knotty hair during the winter and hydrated my roots even after just one application and blow-dry. —Danielle Cohen, Glamour, 2 May 2025

President Trump’s global trade war has significantly raised the bar for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, as tariffs risk worsening an already knotty inflation problem while also damaging growth. —Colby Smith, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

Its repositioning also raises questions about how the show will engage with its source material’s knotty narrative structure, while setting up Ellie and Dina’s vital romance for newcomers. —Abby Monteil, Them., 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing knotty

• knotty pine

Rhymes for knotty

• dotty
• doughty
• draughty
• haughty
• naughty
• potty
• scottie
• spotty
• strati
• zloty
• basmati
• bharati

Kids Definition

knotty

adjective

knot·​ty ˈnät-ē 

knottier; knottiest

1

: full of knots

knotty wood

2

: difficult sense 2b

a knotty problem