complicate
Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
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complex; involved.
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Entomology. folded longitudinally one or more times, as the wings of certain insects.
verb
adjective
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biology folded on itself
a complicate leaf
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a less common word for complicated
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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precomplicateverb (used with object)
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recomplicateverb (used with object)
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uncomplicateverb (used with object)
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overcomplicateverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have complicatedperfect
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has complicatedperfect 3rd person singular
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are complicatingprogressive
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am complicatingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been complicatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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complicatingparticiple
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have been complicatingperfect progressive
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is complicatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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complicatessingular 3rd person
Past
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had complicatedperfect
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had been complicatingperfect progressive
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complicatedparticiple
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was complicatingprogressive singular
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were complicatingprogressive plural
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complicatedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of complicate
1615–25; < Latin complicātus (past participle of complicāre to fold together), equivalent to com- com- + -plic- (combining form of *plecāre to fold, akin to plectī to plait; see complex) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
To complicate things is to make them more complex, confusing, or difficult. So if you've already accepted two party invitations for Saturday night, don't complicate the situation by accepting a third. This verb dates back to the 17th century, when it meant “to intertwine” or “to fold together." This intertwining and folding together, however, sometimes don't work out so well. An infection can complicate an injury. A detour for road construction will complicate your usual route. And directions that are written in another language — and without pictures — complicate the assembly of furniture and toys.
Vocabulary lists containing complicate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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"What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?" Vocabulary from the short story
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One condition alone can be difficult to address, but intertwined maladies further complicate matters.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Use of artificial intelligence by big companies is exploding—and the soaring cost has some of them pumping the brakes in a way that could complicate AI’s triumphal march across the economy.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
That could further complicate reform efforts by Faye, who sacked his former ally Sonko on Friday after months of tensions.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
But outside of earnings season, investors must contend with worries about the Iran conflict, higher oil prices and the risk that renewed inflation pressures could complicate the Federal Reserve’s path on interest rates.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
“You, on the other hand, would complicate things needlessly.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
