Synonyms

knobby

American

[nob-ee] / ˈnɒb i /

adjective

knobbier, knobbiest

full of or covered with knobs.

the knobby trunk of a tree.
shaped like a knob.

knobby British

/ ˈnɒbɪ /

adjective

having or covered with small knobs; knobbly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

knobbiness noun

Etymology

Origin of knobby

First recorded in 1535–45; knob + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Celeriac — the knobby, subterranean root of the celery plant — makes an especially luxurious purée after a simmer in stock and dairy.

From Salon • May 16, 2025

Striding forward, his sturdy right hand clutches a knobby wooden walking stick, cut from a tree branch and stripped.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025

“That’s good,” he said, before pointing a knobby finger at me.

From Slate • Oct. 24, 2024

Kids and adults mingled, decked out in helmets and bike shorts, straddling rugged bikes with wide, knobby tires.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 5, 2022

Maybe everybody’s skull is knobby and weird underneath their hair, but on Jasper Jr. it made him look even meaner.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023