knotty

adjective

ˈnä-tē How to pronounce knotty (audio)
Definition of knottynext
1
as in intricate
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective knotty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of knotty are complex, complicated, intricate, and involved. While all these words mean "having confusingly interrelated parts," knotty suggests complication and entanglement that make solution or understanding improbable.

knotty ethical questions

When can complex be used instead of knotty?

The meanings of complex and knotty largely overlap; however, complex suggests the unavoidable result of a necessary combining and does not imply a fault or failure.

a complex recipe

When would complicated be a good substitute for knotty?

While the synonyms complicated and knotty are close in meaning, complicated applies to what offers great difficulty in understanding, solving, or explaining.

complicated legal procedures

When could intricate be used to replace knotty?

The words intricate and knotty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, intricate suggests such interlacing of parts as to make it nearly impossible to follow or grasp them separately.

an intricate web of deceit

When is involved a more appropriate choice than knotty?

The words involved and knotty can be used in similar contexts, but involved implies extreme complication and often disorder.

a rambling, involved explanation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of knotty This serum also did wonders for my typically knotty hair around the winter, and hydrated my roots even after just one application and blow dry. — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 17 Jan. 2025 But the real crucible for the mayor is only just beginning to take shape, with her political prospects inextricably tied to the almost unfathomably knotty recovery ahead. — Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025 Most feature a king-size bed, wood-burning stove, plenty of knotty wood furniture, and fresh white linens. — Maggie Fuller, AFAR Media, 3 Jan. 2025 Outside the city, accommodations are typically alpine in style, with knotty wooden furniture, hearty meals, and scenic vistas. — Rachael Mendizabal, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for knotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knotty
  1. intricate
  2. difficult
  3. complicated
  4. tough
  5. complicate
  6. sensitive
  7. complex
  8. tangled
Adjective
  • Where the Rubik's Cube is solved by twisting blocky columns in intricate patterns and sequences, the Magic Cube design is a much simpler proposition.
    — Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Some, like Martin’s idol and inspiration, J.R.R. Tolkien, are architects, meticulously planning out their intricate worlds and the hundreds of characters and story lines that exist within them.
    — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of intricate
Adjective
  • Her resiliency is reflected in her students, who do not shy from a difficult story.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
  • As college sports continues its rapid professionalization, the ACC is in a difficult spot.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Some of this ‘fresh stock’ is explained by such properties having hit an ancestral dead-end: many villas have been handed down through local families for generations and some are now owned by multiple grandchildren who would prefer to sell than manage a complicated ‘who stays when’ calendar.
    — Lysanne Currie, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Carell and Horgan’s HBO series Set on a college campus, the untitled Steve Carell comedy from Lawrence and Matt Tarses, which is slated to start production next month, centers on an author’s (Carell) complicated relationship with his daughter.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of complicated
Adjective
  • Schneider wants to take calculated risks in free agency, but that can be tough to do when Seattle is one of many teams needing interior offensive upgrades.
    — Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The New York Fed survey of consumer expectations showed respondents believe tougher economic conditions are ahead.
    — Courtenay Brown, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • There are extensive drawbacks to using nuclear weapons, including their very destructiveness—which could undermine larger objectives or complicate battlefield operations—and the international backlash that would follow.
    — Paul Avey, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Since the Trump administration took office, environmental activists have feared that certain existing standards could be rolled back and further complicate efforts to clean up American water supplies.
    — Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of complicate
Adjective
  • However, people with sensitive skin may experience mild skin irritation, which is often more prevalent with higher percentages of urea.
    — Sherri Gordon, Health, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Age is also a risk factor — older adults may already have issues with sleep due to existing health conditions, medications and chronic pain, and so may be especially sensitive to additional stress.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • Over the past decade, successive U.S. administrations have ignored Iran’s nefarious regional activities during nuclear negotiations because trying to dismantle Iran’s huge regional proxy network was an overwhelming, complex process.
    — Michael Knights, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Myers led the complex negotiations, finalizing the largest section of the deal in 2000 at a cost of $30 million in conservancy funds and $15 million from federal sources.
    — Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of complex
Adjective
  • The collective tension as the game went on, and the poles became taller and more tangled, made every move exciting.
    — James Palmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Her free-associative lyrics are either mesmerizingly strange or plainly hilarious, and her tangled, clanging riffs have an oddly soothing effect.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of tangled

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Cite this Entry

“Knotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knotty. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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