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Synonyms

complicated

American  
[kom-pli-key-tid] / ˈkɒm plɪˌkeɪ tɪd /

adjective

  1. composed of elaborately interconnected parts; complex.

    complicated apparatus for measuring brain functions.

  2. difficult to analyze, understand, explain, etc..

    a complicated problem.
    Synonyms:
    knotty, tangled, involved
complicated British  
/ ˈkɒmplɪˌkeɪtɪd /

adjective

  1. made up of intricate parts or aspects that are difficult to understand or analyse

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • complicatedly adverb
  • complicatedness noun
  • uncomplicated adjective

Etymology

Origin of complicated

First recorded in 1640–50; complicate + -ed 2

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.

Catalysts for a recovery that lengthens into the back half of the year, however, will be complicated by the ongoing rise in oil and other energy prices, and higher inflation coupled with slower-than-expected economic growth.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

The former is much less complicated than the latter.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

But advocates said doing so could have complicated Iran’s targeting and reduced the number of missiles and drones the U.S. would have faced.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Yet for one particularly vulnerable population, the decision to reach out can be especially complicated.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The reasons so few came back are complicated.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

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.