complicate

[ verb kom-pli-keyt; adjective kom-pli-kit ]

/ verb ˈkɒm plɪˌkeɪt; adjective ˈkɒm plɪ kɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: complicate / complicated / complicates / complicating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), com·pli·cat·ed, com·pli·cat·ing.

to make complex, intricate, involved, or difficult: His recovery from the operation was complicated by an allergic reaction.

adjective

complex; involved.

Entomology. folded longitudinally one or more times, as the wings of certain insects.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

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-ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM complicate

o·ver·com·pli·cate, verb (used with object), o·ver·com·pli·cat·ed, o·ver·com·pli·cat·ing.pre·com·pli·cate, verb (used with object), pre·com·pli·cat·ed, pre·com·pli·cat·ing.re·com·pli·cate, verb (used with object), re·com·pli·cat·ed, re·com·pli·cat·ing.un·com·pli·cate, verb (used with object), un·com·pli·cat·ed, un·com·pli·cat·ing.

Words nearby complicate

compliance, compliance officer, compliancy, compliant, complicacy, complicate, complicated, complication, complice, complicit, complicity

How to use complicate in a sentence

Planning has been complicated because of uncertainty over the timing of FDA approval and the different dosage and storage requirements of prospective vaccines.
Top health official says states need about $6 billion from Congress to distribute coronavirus vaccine|Lena H. Sun|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
This is all complicated by the fact that we’re still figuring out how best to combat the pandemic.
Why Coming Up With Effective Interventions To Address COVID-19 Is So Hard|Neil Lewis Jr. (nlewisjr@cornell.edu)|September 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Putting purpose into law will simplify, not complicate, the running of businesses by aligning what the law wants them to do with the reason why they are created.
50 years later, Milton Friedman’s shareholder doctrine is dead|jakemeth|September 13, 2020|Fortune
She believes statements by the city clerk and City Attorney Mara Elliott ahead of the primary declaring that a two-thirds vote would be required to pass the measure could complicate matters for Measure C supporters.
Politics Report: Forged Footnote 15|Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts|September 12, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Rather, most of the officials trying to complicate the voting process are Republicans.
The Latest On Republican Efforts To Make It Harder To Vote|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|September 9, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
But there was money on the line, which tends to complicate things.
COEXIST’s Bonehead Bumper-Sticker Politics|Michael Schulson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The ambivalence is reflected in U.S. policy, which often has served to complicate aid delivery in conflict zones.
Why Humanitarians Talk to ISIS|Joshua Hersh|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To complicate matters further, the only people who seemed to have any desire to go after Booker were of the conspiracy-theory ilk.
The Ugly Truth About Cory Booker, New Jersey’s Golden Boy|Olivia Nuzzi|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The attacks on the Khorasan Group also complicate U.S. efforts to partner with the more moderate opposition.
Al Qaeda Plotters in Syria ‘Went Dark,’ U.S. Spies Say|Eli Lake|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two menacing Fargo-esque figures show up to complicate things.
Viral Video of the Day: A Little 'Lebowski' Influence in Kahlua Ad|Alex Chancey|September 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It would be a mistake to still further complicate matters at this junction, he thought.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
The existence of the theocratic element served further to complicate the machinery of government at Yedo.
Continental Monthly, Vol. 4, No 3, September 1863|Various
Further to complicate the difficulty, Hercules found that as soon as he struck off one head, two others sprang up in its place.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
Not to complicate the question, however, I have excluded all cases of nystagmus from the following investigation.
Schweigger on Squint|C. Schweigger
Every fresh change, especially the introduction of war-chariots or of horse-soldiers, would further complicate the acies.
Battles of English History|H. B. (Hereford Brooke) George

British Dictionary definitions for complicate

complicate

verb (ˈkɒmplɪˌkeɪt)

to make or become complex

adjective (ˈkɒmplɪkɪt)

biology folded on itselfa complicate leaf

a less common word for complicated

Word Origin for complicate

C17: from Latin complicāre to fold together, from plicāre to fold

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

complicate

Origin of complicate

OTHER WORDS FROM complicate

Words nearby complicate

Words related to complicate

How to use complicate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for complicate

Word Origin for complicate