knotty

[ not-ee ]
See synonyms for knotty on Thesaurus.com
adjective,knot·ti·er, knot·ti·est.
  1. having knots; full of knots: a knotty piece of wood.

  2. involved, intricate, or difficult: a knotty problem.

Origin of knotty

1
First recorded in 1200–50, knotty is from the Middle English word cnotti.See knot1, -y1

Other words for knotty

Other words from knotty

  • knot·ti·ly, adverb
  • knot·ti·ness, noun
  • un·knot·ty, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for knotty

knotty

/ (ˈnɒtɪ) /


adjective-tier or -tiest
  1. (of wood, rope, etc) full of or characterized by knots

  2. extremely difficult or intricate

Derived forms of knotty

  • knottily, adverb
  • knottiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012