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KNOTTY
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
Irregular inflected forms: knottier , knottiest
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Tangled in knots or snarls
Example:
snarled thread
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Similar:
tangled (in a confused mass)
Derivation:
knot (any of various fastenings formed by looping and tying a rope (or cord) upon itself or to another rope or to another object)
knot (something twisted and tight and swollen)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe
Example:
a problematic situation at home
Synonyms:
baffling; elusive; knotty; problematic; problematical; tough
Classified under:
Similar:
difficult; hard (not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure)
Derivation:
knottiness (puzzling complexity)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious
Example:
tortuous negotiations lasting for months
Synonyms:
Byzantine; convoluted; involved; knotty; tangled; tortuous
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
complex (complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts)
Derivation:
knottiness (puzzling complexity)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Used of old persons or old trees; covered with knobs or knots
Example:
a knobbed stick
Synonyms:
gnarled; gnarly; knobbed; knotted; knotty
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
crooked (having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned)
