Today's Word

Knotty

NOT-ee

Definition

(adjective) Difficult, complicated, or full of problems.

Example

The detective faced a knotty case with no clear leads.

Fun Fact

Originally describing wood with lots of knots, “knotty” became a metaphor for difficult problems—just like tangled string, some issues require patience and skill to unravel. The Gordian Knot, an ancient legend about an unsolvable problem, still symbolizes tricky challenges today.