Polyglot Dictionary

knifflig

/ˈknɪflɪç/

adjective B2

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

Adj Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Common Domain General Tone Neutral

Meaning

  1. tricky

    Built from Kniff (trick) + -lig (-y).

    • Die Aufgabe ist knifflig.

      The task is tricky.

Made of

  • Kniff trick
  • -lig -y

Similar words

heikel

heikel also implies sensitivity, like a delicate situation; knifflig is more about being puzzling or complicated — both can mean "tricky."

Similar in other languages

English

slippery

Close — tricky relates figuratively to slippery.

Practice

1 What does knifflig mean?

2 Fill the gap: Die Aufgabe ist ___.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches knifflig?

adjectivecompound

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