complicate
Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
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complex; involved.
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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
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a less common word for complicated
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overcomplicateverb (used with object)
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precomplicateverb (used with object)
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recomplicateverb (used with object)
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uncomplicateverb (used with object)
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.
See Examples For:
Even if a future leader wanted to reverse Trump's duties, revenue considerations will complicate the situation, Lipsky predicts.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Higher crude prices have revived concerns that inflation could remain elevated and complicate the path to lower interest rates, but some analysts argue the broader economic backdrop is becoming more supportive.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
Increased heat and winds could challenge ongoing firefights, the weather service officials warned, and will almost certainly complicate new fire starts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Club members have been reluctant to speak publicly about the dispute, fearing they could either inflame tensions within the membership or complicate the club’s court cases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The properties of historical systems that complicate attempts at prediction can be described in several alternative ways.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
This allowed the team to remove much of the environmental variation that complicates cancer studies involving humans.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
Directing awards to organizations in high-income countries further complicates the funding.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Yet hiding users’ information even from itself complicates the ability of Apple’s engineers to train better AI models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
The research complicates the picture of today’s job market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
My mother also dated his brother, which complicates the situation.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
The fix is not complicated, and Bajakajian already points to it.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
But for those who want more practical careers, the landscape is much more complicated.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
These approaches can require complicated equipment, precise alignment, angular measurements, or coincidence detection.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
No one exemplifies this generous worldview better than Lotta, who turns out not to be the villain of May’s darkest imaginings but a complicated, compassionate and rather philosophical human being.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Did she keep a notebook full of complicated diagrams?
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Global conflict is complicating Saudi Arabia’s ability to ship its oil through its usual channels.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
The United States' frenzied rush to build out AI infrastructure has boosted exports of Mexican technology, complicating President Donald Trump's hand heading into trade negotiations.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
For these pseudo-historians, complicating Odysseus was another liberal assault on Homer’s tale.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Turf battles between law enforcement and militaries are already complicating efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
But the girl and her little entourage showed up, complicating things.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
