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Synonyms

complicate

American  
[kom-pli-keyt, kom-pli-kit] / ˈkɒm plɪˌkeɪt, ˈkɒm plɪ kɪt /

verb (used with object)

complicated, complicating

  1. to make complex, intricate, involved, or difficult.

    His recovery from the operation was complicated by an allergic reaction.

adjective

  1. complex; involved.

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

complicate British  

verb

  1. to make or become complex

"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

adjective

  1. biology folded on itself

    a complicate leaf

  2. a less common word for complicated

"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

  • overcomplicate verb (used with object)
  • precomplicate verb (used with object)
  • recomplicate verb (used with object)
  • uncomplicate verb (used with object)

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; complex ) + -ātus -ate 1

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.

Higher inflation, in turn, would complicate the picture for the Fed’s interest-rate path.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 5, 2026

Thomas Mathews, head of Asia Pacific markets at Capital Economics, thinks oil markets may complicate that task, at least over the near term.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Japan’s fortifications aim to protect the vulnerable islands, but they have an added advantage: They complicate China’s freedom of maneuver, Matsuda said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

If the Maldives did file a legal case, it would further complicate the UK's deal with Mauritius.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 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.