gordian knot

IPA/ˌɡɔːdiən ˈnɒt/
IPA/ˌɡɔːrdiən ˈnɑːt/

gordian knot — noun

1. a problem with many connected parts that is very hard to sort out or solve

1.名詞C2
釋義

a problem with many connected parts that is very hard to sort out or solve

例句

The housing bill became a gordian knot after three parties rejected the budget deal.

become a gordian knot in a political dispute

Gita treated the land dispute like a gordian knot and mapped every family claim.

treat something like a gordian knot

同義詞
  • tangle

    more everyday and less literary; often suggests confusion as well as difficulty

  • dilemma

    focuses on a hard choice, not on many linked complications

  • deadlock

    emphasises that progress has stopped completely, especially between sides in conflict

反義詞
  • simple task

    something that can be handled without many complications

文法句型

be a gordian knot

become a gordian knot

see something as a gordian knot

用法筆記

Usually appears after verbs such as be, become, face, or see as. The phrase often suggests that ordinary step-by-step methods are no longer enough to solve the problem cleanly.

常見錯誤

❌The report was a gordian knot that was easy to fix.
✅The report became a gordian knot that took weeks to solve.
💡The phrase implies a problem that is extremely hard to untangle, not a simple one.
❌I tied a gordian knot in the rope.
✅I tied a tight knot in the rope.
💡In everyday use, gordian knot usually describes a complicated problem, not an ordinary knot.

2. the famous knot in an ancient story, said to be impossible to untie until Alexan

2.名詞C2
釋義

the famous knot in an ancient story, said to be impossible to untie until Alexander the Great solved the challenge by cutting through it

例句

In the museum guide, the Gordian knot symbolized a test no ordinary ruler could solve.

the Gordian knot in the ancient legend

Our history teacher said Alexander cut the Gordian knot instead of trying to untie it.

cut the Gordian knot in the story

文法句型

the Gordian knot

cut the Gordian knot

legend of the Gordian knot

用法筆記

This sense refers to the knot from the legend itself, so it is usually written with capital letters and often appears in historical, literary, or art contexts.

常見錯誤

❌Alexander untied the Gordian knot with his sword.
✅Alexander cut the Gordian knot with his sword.
💡In the story, he solves the challenge by cutting the knot, not by untying it.
❌A museum copy showed a Gordian knot.
✅A museum copy showed the Gordian knot.
💡The legendary object is usually referred to with the definite article.