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Meaning of knotty
The primary meaning of "knotty" is having a knot or knots, or being complicated and difficult to solve or understand.
Etymology of knotty
The word "knotty" has its roots in Old English "cnott" meaning knot, and the suffix "-y" which forms an adjective, with the word being first recorded in the 14th century to describe something having a knot
Historically, the term "knotty" was used to describe physical objects with knots, but over time its meaning expanded to include abstract concepts that are complicated or difficult to understand
Synonyms
complicated
complex
intricate
tangled
confusing
perplexing
problematic
troublesome
difficult
challenging
tricky
stubborn
intractable
obstinate
rebellious
unmanageable
unruly
knotted
snarled
entangled
messy
problematical
bewildering
puzzling
enigmatic
mysterious
insoluble
inextricable
tricky
thorny
prickly
touchy
sensitive
delicate
ticklish
dodgy
precarious
hazardous
risky
treacherous
uncertain
ambiguous
obscure
abstruse
recondite
enmeshed
intertwined
interlaced
involved
Byzantine
labyrinthine
Byzantine
Definitions
- Having a knot or knots, especially one that is difficult to untie
- Complicated or difficult to solve or understand, typically because of being intricate or complex
- Resistant to control or management, often because of being stubborn or uncooperative
Usage Examples
- The knotty problem of climate change requires a multifaceted solution
- The researcher spent years trying to untangle the knotty issue of genetic inheritance
- The hikers encountered a knotty section of trail that slowed their progress