intricate
Americanadjective
-
having many interrelated parts or facets; entangled or involved.
an intricate maze.
- Synonyms:
- labyrinthine, tangled, knotty
-
complex; complicated; hard to understand, work, or make.
an intricate machine.
adjective
-
difficult to understand; obscure; complex; puzzling
-
entangled or involved
intricate patterns
Other Word Forms
- intricacy noun
- intricately adverb
- intricateness noun
- unintricate adjective
- unintricately adverb
- unintricateness noun
Etymology
Origin of intricate
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin intrīcātus “entangled,” past participle of intrīcāre “to entangle,” from in- in- 2 + trīc(ae) “perplexities” + -āre, infinitive verb suffix
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.
Bright sunlight filled the hallway from an intricate metal window at the end.
From Literature
That style is dense, intricate and sometimes impenetrable, and Ms. Serpell means to celebrate its difficulties while guiding us through them.
With a team of technicians and craftspeople, Deverell constructed breathtaking sets, including Victor’s laboratory with giant batteries that required intricate steam and lighting mechanisms.
From Los Angeles Times
But there are always plenty of things around you to show how intricate your senses are, if you only pause for a moment to take it all in.
From Science Daily
Known for intricate guitar lines and rich horn arrangements, he played with leading bands including the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band.
From Barron's
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.
