knottiest
Hardest to unravel
Knottiest is the superlative of knotty—having the most knots or presenting the greatest difficulty.
Wood that is knottiest has the most gnarled spots where branches once grew.
A problem that is knottiest is the most tangled and hard to solve: The knottiest questions in philosophy have occupied thinkers for millennia.
Growled or knotted
- twistedWound around itself
- gnarledTwisted and knotty
- mattedTangled into clumps
- entwinedWrapped around one another
entangled · enmeshed · intertwined · raveled · tousled · coiled · jumbled · woven
Twisted and knotty
- burledHaving twisted wood grain
- grainCereal plant's harvest unit
- hardwoodDense deciduous timber
- lumberSawn wood for building
timber · woodworking · carpentry · sawing · planing · rings · oak · pine
Difficult to understand
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
- intricateElaborately detailed, many parts
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
- byzantineDauntingly intricate and devious
tangled · thorny · perplexing · abstruse · tortuous · multifaceted · nuanced · elaborate
Most difficult or resilient
- hardestSuperlative of tough
- thorniestMost vexingly complicated
- trickiestMost deceptive or difficult
- demandingRequiring great effort
formidable · arduous · intractable · stubborn · vexing · troublesome · taxing · exacting
Perplexing problem or question
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
- dilemmaForced choice between undesirables
- paradoxSeemingly absurd truth
quandary · predicament · impasse · Gordian · brain-teaser · stumper · head-scratcher · maze
snarled
Growled or knotted
entwined · entangled · enmeshed · intertwined · raveled · tousled · coiled · jumbled · woven · braided
gnarled
Twisted and knotty
lumber · timber · woodworking · carpentry · sawing · planing · rings · oak · pine · seasoned
complicated
Difficult to understand
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
- intricateElaborately detailed, many parts
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
byzantine · tangled · thorny · perplexing · abstruse · tortuous · multifaceted · nuanced · elaborate · involved
toughest
Most difficult or resilient
demanding · formidable · arduous · intractable · stubborn · vexing · troublesome · taxing · exacting · daunting
conundrum
Perplexing problem or question
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
- dilemmaForced choice between undesirables
paradox · quandary · predicament · impasse · Gordian · brain-teaser · stumper · head-scratcher · maze · labyrinth