knotty

1 having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace Synonyms baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated, convoluted, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute, involved, complex, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangledRelated Words overcomplex, overcomplicated; composite, compound, heterogeneous, mixed, multibranched, multifaceted, multifarious, multipart, varied; challenging, difficult, tough; impenetrable, incomprehensible, inexplicable, Kafkaesque, unfathomable, unintelligibleNear Antonyms oversimplified, simplified, simplistic; homogeneous, uniform, unvariedAntonyms noncomplex, noncomplicated, plain, simple, uncomplicated

2 requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues Synonyms catchy, delicate, difficult, dodgy [chiefly British], hairy, tricky, nasty, prickly, problematic (also problematical), sensitive, spiny, sticky, thorny, ticklish, touchy, tough, tricksyRelated Words abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, hard, intricate, involved, recondite, serious; problem, scabrous, stubborn, troublesome, troublous, vexatious, vexing, worrisome; burdensome, demanding, discommoding, exacting, exhausting, importunate, inconvenient, onerous, oppressive, painful, stressfulNear Antonyms easy, effortless, manageable, painless, simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, undemanding, unproblematic