complicate
Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
-
complex; involved.
-
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
-
a less common word for complicated
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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complicatesimple
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complicatessimple
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have complicatedperfect
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has complicatedperfect
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am complicatingprogressive
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are complicatingprogressive
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is complicatingprogressive
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have been complicatingperfect progressive
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has been complicatingperfect progressive
Past
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complicatedsimple
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had complicatedperfect
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was complicatingprogressive
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were complicatingprogressive
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had been complicatingperfect progressive
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.
Contemporary nations like Iran, Armenia, and Egypt can lay claim to being built on very old civilizations, but you could point out discontinuities and lapses in sovereignty in their histories that complicate the argument.
From Slate • Jul. 4, 2026
“It’s going to chill people who want to make requests, and it’s going to complicate the process, and it’s just wrong,” McMorris said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026
And asking borrowers and bondholders to rewrite debt contracts in return for a one-year pause would complicate the already difficult job of debt managers and tax their limited bureaucratic capacity to deal with state-contingent flows.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
Adding to the uncertainty, forecasters warned that thunderstorms and severe weather could complicate portions of the Freedom 250 festivities, potentially affecting some of the weekend’s outdoor events.
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026
“We work together. And if we...do this...it might complicate things.”
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
