What does "complicate" mean?
To make complex; to modify so as to make something intricate or difficult.
Complicate
/ˈkɑmplɪkeɪt/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To make complex; to modify so as to make something intricate or difficult.
- Grammar: complicate is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: perplex, elaborate, accelerate, add.
- Useful contrasts: clear design, clear educational value, minimalist design.
- Usage evidence: That'll complicate matters more.
How to use "complicate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "complicate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "complicate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "complicate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "complicate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "complicate" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "perplex" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "complicate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make complex; to modify so as to make something intricate or difficult. transitive
"Let us, however, put aside for the moment the mendacities and forgeries which complicate the question of Lucifer, and let us approach Palladism from an altogether different side."
- 2 make more complex, intricate, or richer wordnet
- 3 To involve in a convoluted matter. transitive
"Don't complicate yourself in issues that are beyond the scope of your understanding."
- 4 make more complicated wordnet
- 5 To coexist with (another disease) creating a complication. transitive
"Masked or larvate malaria, like pernicious malaria, needs complete overhauling. Nearly every disease in the category has been confounded with malaria and classed as larvate. This heterogeneous group has been expanded to embrace diseases unrelated to malaria, diseases complicating malaria, and symptoms and sequelæ of malaria."
Adjective
- 1 Intertwined. obsolete
- 2 Complex, complicated. archaic, poetic
"How poor, how rich, how abject, how august, / How complicate, how wonderful, is Man!"
Antonyms
Example
"That'll complicate matters more."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "complicate"?
Common synonyms include: perplex, elaborate, accelerate, add, adjoin, affix.
How do you use "complicate" in a sentence?
That'll complicate matters more.
How do you pronounce "complicate"?
Pronounced /ˈkɑmplɪkeɪt/.
Etymology
First attested in the early 17ᵗʰ century; borrowed from Latin complicātus, perfect passive participle of complicō (“to fold together”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- (“together”) + plicō (“to fold, weave, knit”); see plaid, and compare complex. See also Middle English complicate (“involved”).