Gordian knot as a noun: - 1
- 2
Gordian knot
noun
1 Gordian knot
Any very difficult problem; insoluble in its own terms.
Polish: węzeł gordyjski
2 Gordian knot
An intricate knot tied by Gordius, the king of Phrygia, and cut by the sword of Alexander the Great after he heard that whoever undid it would become ruler of Asia.
Roget 59a:
complexity;
complexness
etc.
adj.;
complexus†;
complication,
implication;
intricacy,
intrication†;
perplexity;
network,
labyrinth;
wilderness,
jungle;
involution,
raveling,
entanglement;
coil
etc.
(convolution)
248;
sleave†,
tangled skein,
knot,
Gordian knot,
wheels within wheels;
kink,
gnarl,
knarl†;
webwork†.
[complexity if a task or action]
difficulty
etc.
704.
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Roget 704:
difficulty;
hardness
etc.
adj.;
impracticability
etc.
(impossibility)
471;
tough work,
hard work,
uphill work;
hard task,
Herculean task,
Augean task†;
task of Sisyphus,
Sisyphean labor,
tough job,
teaser,
rasper†,
dead lift.
dilemma,
embarrassment;
deadlock;
perplexity
etc.
(uncertainty)
475;
intricacy;
entanglement,
complexity
etc.
59;
cross fire;
awkwardness,
delicacy,
ticklish card to play,
knot,
Gordian knot,
dignus vindice nodus [Lat.],
net,
meshes,
maze;
coil
etc.
(convolution)
248;
crooked path;
involvement.
nice point,
delicate point,
subtle point,
knotty point;
vexed question,
vexata quaestio [Lat.],
poser;
puzzle
etc.
(riddle)
533;
paradox;
hard nut to crack,
nut to crack;
bone to pick,
crux,
pons asinorum [Lat.],
where the shoe pinches.
nonplus,
quandary,
strait,
pass,
pinch,
pretty pass,
stress,
brunt;
critical situation,
crisis;
trial,
rub,
emergency,
exigency,
scramble.
scrape,
hobble,
slough,
quagmire,
hot water,
hornet's nest;
sea of troubles,
peck of troubles;
pretty kettle of fish;
pickle,
stew,
imbroglio,
mess,
ado;
false position.
set fast,
stand,
standstill;
deadlock,
dead set.
fix,
horns of a dilemma,
cul de sac [Fr.];
hitch;
stumbling block
etc.
(hindrance)
706.
[difficult person]
crab;
curmudgeon.
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adverb
Roget 248:
in and out,
round and round;
a can of worms;
Gordian knot.
Moby thesaurus: Chinese puzzle, Rube Goldberg contraption, can of worms, complex, crux, dilemma, enigma, jungle, knot, knotty point, labyrinth, maze, meander, mesh, mess, node, nodus, nonplus, oxymoron, paradox, perplex, perplexity, pons asinorum, poser, puzzle, quandary, ravel, snafu, snake pit, snarl, tangle, tangled skein, teaser, vexed question, webwork, wheels within wheels, wilderness ... show more.
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