knotty

[ not-ee ]

adjective

knottier, knottiest.

1. having knots; knot; full of knots: knot:

   a knotty piece of wood.

2. involved, intricate, or difficult:

   a knotty problem.

   Synonyms: complicated, complex

knotty

/ ˈnɒtɪ /

adjective

1. (of wood, rope, etc) full of or characterized by knots
2. extremely difficult or intricate

Derived Forms

• ˈknottily, adverb
• ˈknottiness, noun

Other Word Forms

• knotti·ly adverb
• knotti·ness noun
• un·knotty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of knotty¹

First recorded in 1200–50, knotty is from the Middle English word cnotti. See knot ¹, -y ¹

Example Sentences

But that’s one episode — one and a half, if we treat “Plaything” as the preamble to a robust and morally knotty drama about humanity’s next stage of evolution — out of half a dozen.

From Salon

The singer's infectious energy and knotty pop-rock songs have been picking up new fans in every city.

From BBC

But it doesn’t just speak to the grim fact that many distributors balk at the film’s knotty subject matter, it also suggests that academy voters can still recognize great, revolutionary cinema when they see it.

From Salon

It was while peeling a knotty hunk of ginger in a soupy kitchen that I first began to appreciate the fine art of slowing down.

From Salon

But the real crucible for the mayor is only just beginning to take shape, with her political prospects inextricably tied to the almost unfathomably knotty recovery ahead.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• complicated
• mystifying
• perplexing
• puzzling
• sticky
• thorny
• tricky