Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

knotty

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of 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, complex, complicate, complicated, convoluted, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute, involved, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangled
Words Related to knotty

overcomplex, overcomplicated

composite, compound, heterogeneous, mixed, multibranched, multifaceted, multifarious, multipart, varied

challenging, difficult, tough

impenetrable, incomprehensible, inexplicable, Kafkaesque, unfathomable, unintelligible
Near Antonyms of knotty

oversimplified, simplified, simplistic

homogeneous, uniform, unvaried
Antonyms 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, nasty, prickly, problematic (also problematical), sensitive, spiny, sticky, thorny, ticklish, touchy, tough, tricksy, tricky
Words 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, stressful
Near Antonyms of knotty

easy, effortless, manageable, painless, simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, undemanding, unproblematic

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about knotty

  1. See words that rhyme with knotty Dictionary: Definition of knotty Spanish Central: Translation of knotty Nglish: Translation of knotty for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up knotty? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

milieu

the setting in which something occurs

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. Spartan Red Cross Warns of Shelter Conditions

  2. hirsute RIP Burt Reynolds

  3. op-ed NYT Publishes Anonymous Piece

  4. collegiality Kavanaugh Mentions Word in Hearing

  5. mistrial Manafort Guilty on 8 Counts

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games