knobbly

British  

/ ˈnɒblɪ /

adjective

1. having or covered with small knobs; bumpy

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Explanation

If something's lumpy and misshapen, you can describe it as knobbly. Don't throw out those knobbly potatoes from your garden — they're ugly, but they'll taste perfectly fine! If a camper pitches her tent over a bumpy patch of ground, she'll feel all of those knobbly roots and rocks through her sleeping bag later. This adjective, a variation on knobby, comes from knob, "rounded lump or bump." That gnarled oak tree in your yard is knobbly, and so are your little sister's bony knees.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

knobbly

"The only difficulty is peeling them, but just cut the knobbly bit off and peel it separately."

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

They would feel just like a sticker, while patches with a silicon-based chip always feel knobbly.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024

Inside was a diorama featuring models of nine crustaceans, including a coconut crab, usually found on tropical islands; a decorator crab, which covers its body with algae for camouflage; and the knobbly horrid elbow crab.

From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2023

Kyle Kuzma sat in a knobbly, cropped black sweater after the game — the sartorial opposite of the oversized pink number memorialized on his bobblehead.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 15, 2023

The riding surface was all knobbly for traction, but it was amazing how easy it was to slip off.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld