好词典

knotty

UK //ˈnɒti//US //ˈnɑːti//

词源

源自中古英语 'knotty',与 'knot'(结)相关,最早可追溯至古英语 'cnotta',指物体打结或缠绕的状态。

adjective

❶ 形容事物复杂难解或充满困难,像打了结一样难以理清。常用于形容问题、情况或木材等物体的物理特性。

“The knotty problem took us weeks to solve.”

(这个棘手的问题花了我们几周时间才解决。)

“She was struggling with the knotty details of the contract.”

(她正在努力处理合同中那些复杂的细节。)

同义词:complex, complicated, tangled, intricate, difficult

常见短语

knotty problem — 指特别复杂或难以解决的问题,强调需要花费大量精力去分析和处理。

“Climate change is one of the knotty problems facing humanity today.”

(气候变化是当今人类面临的棘手问题之一。)