gordian
Impossible to untangle
Gordian appears almost exclusively in the phrase Gordian knot, referring to a problem so tangled it seems impossible to solve by ordinary means.
The expression comes from an ancient legend: Alexander the Great, faced with an impossibly complex knot, simply cut through it with his sword.
To cut the Gordian knot is to solve a difficult problem through bold, unconventional action rather than patient unraveling.
Complex and difficult
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- entangledTwisted together inseparably
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
byzantine · tortuous · serpentine · woven · interwoven · snarled · twisted · complicated
Masculine Greek-origin name
- AnatoliaWestern Asian peninsula
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- prophecyForetelling of future events
- chariotAncient horse-drawn fighter's vehicle
oxcart · yoke · destiny · legend · ancient · kingdom · Midas · Zeus
Impossible to manage
- insolubleCannot be dissolved
- insuperableImpossible to overcome
- irresolvableImpossible to settle
- inextricableImpossible to disentangle
hopeless · impossible · unresolvable · deadlocked · impasse · stalemate · dilemma · quandary
knotty
Complex and difficult
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- entangledTwisted together inseparably
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
labyrinthine · byzantine · tortuous · serpentine · woven · interwoven · snarled · twisted · complicated · elaborate
Alexander
Masculine Greek-origin name
- AnatoliaWestern Asian peninsula
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- prophecyForetelling of future events
chariot · oxcart · yoke · destiny · legend · ancient · kingdom · Midas · Zeus · sacred
intractable
Impossible to manage
- insolubleCannot be dissolved
- insuperableImpossible to overcome
- irresolvableImpossible to settle
inextricable · hopeless · impossible · unresolvable · deadlocked · impasse · stalemate · dilemma · quandary · predicament
gordiansimple
Free of complexity
straightforward · uncomplicated · elementary · plain · basic
gordiantractable
Easily managed or controlled
solvable · manageable · resolvable · surmountable · open-and-shut
- Gordian knotSeemingly unsolvable difficulty
- cut the Gordian knotSolve intractable problem decisively