knotty

IPA/ˈnɒti/
KK[nˈɑti]IPA/ˈnɑːti/

knotty — adjective

  • knottypositive
  • knottiercomparative
  • knottiestsuperlative

1. describing a question, situation, or problem that is very hard to understand, an

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing a question, situation, or problem that is very hard to understand, analyse, or solve because it involves many connected difficulties

例句

The committee spent three hours debating the knotty issue of budget cuts.

knotty + issue / problem collocation

João faced a knotty question about whether to tell his family the truth.

同義詞
  • complex

    more general and neutral; describes anything with many parts, not necessarily hard to solve

  • complicated

    wider in use and less formal; the everyday word for something not simple

  • intricate

    emphasises fine detail and careful construction, not difficulty

  • tangled

    more metaphorical and vivid; suggests confusion rather than inherent complexity

反義詞
  • simple

    the direct opposite for most uses

  • straightforward

    suggests something easy to understand without hidden difficulties

文法句型

be + knotty

knotty + noun

用法筆記

Frequently used in formal or written contexts rather than everyday speech. The noun it modifies is almost always abstract: a problem, issue, question, or situation.

常見錯誤

❌This math is very knotty to do.
✅This is a very knotty math problem.
💡knotty typically appears before a noun, not alone after a linking verb.
❌The meeting became knotty.
✅The meeting became complicated.
💡in informal spoken English, knotty sounds unnatural; use complicated or tricky instead.

2. used to describe wood that has many hard, round marks where branches once grew,

2.形容詞B2
釋義

used to describe wood that has many hard, round marks where branches once grew, or rope, string, or hair that is full of tangles

例句

The carpenter chose a plank of knotty pine for the rustic bookshelf.

knotty + type of wood: pine, oak, cedar

Eliska tried to untangle the knotty fishing line but finally cut it with scissors.

同義詞
  • gnarled

    describes twisted, knobbly wood or hands, often implying age and roughness

  • bumpy

    less specific; describes any uneven surface, not only from knots

  • tangled

    preferred for rope, string, hair, or thread that is twisted together

反義詞
  • smooth

    the direct opposite for wood or any surface

  • straight

    used for hair or rope without tangles

文法句型

be + knotty

knotty + noun

用法筆記

Most common with types of wood (knotty pine, knotty oak) in descriptions of furniture or building materials. Less frequent for rope or hair, where tangled or snarled is more common.

常見錯誤

❌The tree has knotty leaves.
✅The tree has knotty branches.
💡knotty refers to the trunk, branches, or wood itself, not leaves or fruit.