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 of knotty baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated, convoluted, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute, involved, complex, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangledWords Related to knotty overcomplex, overcomplicated; composite, compound, heterogeneous, mixed, multibranched, multifaceted, multifarious, multipart, varied; challenging, difficult, tough; impenetrable, incomprehensible, inexplicable, Kafkaesque, unfathomable, unintelligibleNear Antonyms of knotty oversimplified, simplified, simplistic; homogeneous, uniform, unvariedAntonyms of knotty 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 of knotty catchy, delicate, difficult, dodgy [chiefly British], hairy, tricky, nasty, prickly, problematic (also problematical), sensitive, spiny, sticky, thorny, ticklish, touchy, tough, tricksyWords Related to knotty 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 of knotty easy, effortless, manageable, painless, simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, undemanding, unproblematic