71 entries under tricky topic. ×

38
difficult(adjective, hard, rough, difficult, delicate)
34
knotty(adjective, hard, difficulty, difficult, delicate)
30
hard(adjective, rough, difficult, delicate, complex)
29
complicated(adjective, hard, difficulty, difficult, delicate)
28
complex(adjective, hard, difficult, delicate, awkward)
27
intricate(adjective, hard, difficulty, difficult, delicate)
25
problematic(adjective, hard, difficult, delicate, complex)
23
involved(adjective, hard, difficult, delicate, complex)
20
labyrinthine(adjective, hard, difficulty, difficult, complex)
15
ticklish(adjective, difficult, delicate, complex)
10
troublesome(adjective, hard, rough, difficult, delicate)
8
bothersome(adjective, tough, difficult, problematic)
8
perplexing(adjective, hard, difficult, delicate, complex)
7
nettlesome(adjective, tough, easy, difficult, pain)
6
critical(bad, delicate, heavy, awkward)
5
baffling(adjective, difficult, delicate, complex)
5
tangled(hard, difficulty, complicated)
4
abstruse(adjective, hard, difficult, delicate, loose)
4
touchy(bad, delicate, heavy, awkward)
3
problematical(adjective, hard, difficult, delicate, complex)
11 years ago|7k views|share |citing 
APASmart Define. (2015). thorny thesaurus. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/thorny/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "thorny thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/thorny/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 26, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, thorny thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 26 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/thorny/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "thorny thesaurus" 13 April 2015. Web. 26 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/thorny/thesaurus/synonyms>