elaborate

American  

[ih-lab-er-it, ih-lab-uh-rayt] / ɪˈlæb ər ɪt, ɪˈlæb əˌreɪt /

adjective

1. 

   worked out with great care and nicety of detail; executed with great minuteness.

   elaborate preparations; elaborate care.

   Synonyms:

   painstaking

   Antonyms:

   simple

2. marked by intricate and often excessive detail; complicated; ornate.

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verb (used with object)

• elaborates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• elaborated,
  past participle,  past
• elaborating
  present participle

1. to work out carefully or minutely; develop to perfection.

   Synonyms:

   improve, refine

2. to add details to; expand.

3. to produce or develop by labor.

4. Physiology. to convert (food, plasma, etc.) by means of chemical processes into a substance more suitable for use within the body.

verb (used without object)

• elaborates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• elaborated,
  past participle,  past
• elaborating
  present participle

1. to add details in writing, speaking, etc.; give additional or fuller treatment (usually followed by on orupon ).

   to elaborate upon a theme or an idea.

   Synonyms:

   improve, refine

elaborate British  

/ ɪˈlæbərətɪv /

adjective

1. planned or executed with care and exactness; detailed

2. marked by complexity, ornateness, or detail

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verb

1. (intr; usually foll by on or upon) to add information or detail (to an account); expand (upon)

2. (tr) to work out in detail; develop

3. (tr) to make more complicated or ornate

4. (tr) to produce by careful labour; create

5. (tr) physiol to change (food or simple substances) into more complex substances for use in the body

Synonym Usage

Elaborate, labored, studied apply to that which is worked out in great detail. That which is elaborate is characterized by great, sometimes even excessive, minuteness of detail: elaborate preparations for a banquet. That which is labored is marked by excessive, often forced or uninspired, effort: a labored style of writing. That which is studied is accomplished with care and deliberation, and is done purposely, sometimes even having been rehearsed: a studied pose.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• elaborateness
  noun
• elaboration
  noun
• elaborator
  noun
• nonelaborateness
  noun
• superelaborateness
  noun
• unelaborateness
  noun
• elaborative
  adjective
• nonelaborate
  adjective
• nonelaborating
  adjective
• nonelaborative
  adjective
• quasi-elaborate
  adjective
• self-elaborated
  adjective
• superelaborate
  adjective
• unelaborate
  adjective
• unelaborated
  adjective
• well-elaborated
  adjective
• elaborately
  adverb
• nonelaborately
  adverb
• quasi-elaborately
  adverb
• superelaborately
  adverb
• unelaborately
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• elaborating
  present
• elaborated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• elaborate
  simple
• elaborates
  simple
• have elaborated
  perfect
• has elaborated
  perfect
• am elaborating
  progressive
• are elaborating
  progressive
• is elaborating
  progressive
• have been elaborating
  perfect progressive
• has been elaborating
  perfect progressive

Past

• elaborated
  simple
• had elaborated
  perfect
• was elaborating
  progressive
• were elaborating
  progressive
• had been elaborating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will elaborate
  simple
• will have elaborated
  perfect
• will be elaborating
  progressive
• will have been elaborating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of elaborate

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin ēlabōrātus (past participle of ēlabōrāre ) worked out, equivalent to ē- intensive prefix + labōr- “work” + -ātus adjective suffix; see e- ¹, -ate ¹

Explanation

Use the adjective elaborate when you want to describe how something is very detailed or especially complicated, like a devilish prank planned out weeks in advance. The adjective elaborate is used to describe when something is planned with a lot of attention to detail or when something is intricate or detailed itself. The word comes from the Latin elaborare, which means "to produce by labor" but it has come to mean a lot of labor, especially work that is very complicated and precise. To imagine this word, think of a painting with lots of flourishes or a story with many sub-plots and characters that all fit together in extensive ways.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elaborate elaborates elaborated elaborating

The department store chain Kohl’s prevents agentic purchases, a spokeswoman said, declining to elaborate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

He did not elaborate further, but such perspective would be needed.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Players craft elaborate structures and — certainly in Tomlin’s case — full-blown cities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

He did not elaborate on what U.S. support that would entail.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

Thaya Jaan waits for me to elaborate, but I don’t know what else to say.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Later, he elaborates more fully on the genius of her portrayal.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

When questioned on this by her guest, Queer Eye's Tan France, she elaborates on what she likes to cook.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2025

Here he elaborates, line by lyrical line, on an eloquent poem about social justice by Nikky Finney.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025

In a recent essay at Scientific American, leading psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton elaborates:

From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2024

A note elaborates that Tío Alejandro was the one who used to own English saddle horses and taught you four girls to ride.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

After admitting post-fight her age may have played a factor in her performance, Serrano further elaborated on social media.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

He has elaborated on the philosophy in a handful of recent public appearances, and he is writing a book—due out in October—to defend it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Prominent figures in the late 1980s and early 1990s elaborated on that argument in books and talk-show appearances.

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026

Netanyahu elaborated on Israel's security concerns in his post.

From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 2026

“God created a world of work and rewards,” he elaborated, “on a big balanced scale.”

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

"America.gov will continue to be updated to provide Americans the most accurate and reliable federal information and resources," a White House official said in a statement to AFP, without elaborating.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Macron said it was a "very important moment" for relations between the two countries, adding that they would also discuss "new initiatives" in the Middle East, without elaborating.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

They point to management comments that the proposed listing process of Kunlunxin is continuing, without elaborating on the time frame.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

"It's a difficult situation," she said, adding that the US federal government was "helping us out", without elaborating.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

And when April and Melanie started tossing the idea back and forth, decorating and elaborating the way they always did, it Worked just the way it was supposed to.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder