Gordian
Cut, not untied
Gordian appears almost exclusively in the phrase Gordian knot, referring to a problem so tangled and complex that it seems impossible to solve by conventional means.
The expression comes from an ancient legend about a knot that could only be undone by the future ruler of Asia—Alexander the Great simply cut through it with his sword.
To cut the Gordian knot means to solve a difficult problem through bold, unconventional action rather than patient unraveling.
The new CEO took a Gordian approach, eliminating the entire department rather than reorganizing it.
Complex and difficult
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- entangledTwisted together inseparably
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
interwoven · complex · complicated · elaborate · woven · intertwined · twisted · snarled
Impossible to manage
- insolubleCannot be dissolved
- insurmountableImpossible to overcome
- impossibleIncapable of occurring
- unresolvableImpossible to settle
hopeless · impasse · deadlock · stalemate · dilemma · quandary · predicament · conundrum
Masculine Greek-origin name
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- prophecyForetelling of future events
- AnatoliaWestern Asian peninsula
- chariotAncient horse-drawn fighter's vehicle
Zeus · Midas · legend · conquest · Macedonia · destiny · sword · temple
Severance or reduction
- severCut apart completely
- slicePortion cut off
- boldCourageous and daring
- unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
shortcut · solution · breakthrough · stroke · direct · swift · lateral · unorthodox
knotty
Complex and difficult
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- entangledTwisted together inseparably
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
labyrinthine · interwoven · complex · complicated · elaborate · woven · intertwined · twisted · snarled · Byzantine
intractable
Impossible to manage
- insolubleCannot be dissolved
- insurmountableImpossible to overcome
- impossibleIncapable of occurring
unresolvable · hopeless · impasse · deadlock · stalemate · dilemma · quandary · predicament · conundrum · paradox
Alexander
Masculine Greek-origin name
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- prophecyForetelling of future events
- AnatoliaWestern Asian peninsula
chariot · Zeus · Midas · legend · conquest · Macedonia · destiny · sword · temple · oxcart
cut
Severance or reduction
unconventional · shortcut · solution · breakthrough · stroke · direct · swift · lateral · unorthodox · radical
- Ancient RomansJulius Caesar, patricians, consuls, Marcus Aurelius, Nero
- EponymsDarwinian, Alzheimer's disease, Freudian slip, cardigan, Parkinson's disease
Gordiansimple
Free of complexity
straightforward · uncomplicated · elementary · clear-cut · untangled
Gordiansolvable
Capable of resolution
tractable · manageable · resolvable · surmountable · doable
- Gordian knotSeemingly unsolvable difficulty
- cut the Gordian knotSolve intractable problem decisively