knotty

1 of 2

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

knottiness

2 of 2

noun

knot·​ti·​ness

-ät|ēnə̇s, 

-ät|, 

|in-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being knotty

bewildered by the knottiness of the legal points involved

Synonyms of knotty

Adjective

• intricate
• complicated
• complicate
• complex
• tangled
• sophisticated

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

Adjective

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

Adjective

The home includes knotty timber detailing and is arranged around a large open living area that connects to the outside with double glass doors. —New Atlas, 1 June 2026

Every state already has laws on the books for such record-clearing, but the process is complicated and requires people to navigate a knotty legal system. —Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 May 2026

The conference comes at a knotty moment for the Democratic Party. —Niall Stanage, The Hill, 20 May 2026

Since its opening, Moth Days has caught the eyes and hearts of a public that was apparently hungry for knotty rumination on troubled institutions. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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