complicate
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complicate
- /ˈkɑmplɪkeɪt/ US
- /ˈkɒmplɪkeɪt/ UK
- /ˈkɒmplɪkət/ UK
Where it comes from
First attested in the early 17th century; borrowed from Latin complicātus, perfect passive participle of complicō (“to fold together, fold up”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- (“with, together with, in the company of, in connection with, along with, together, and”) + plicō (“to fold, wind, coil”); see plaid, and compare complex. See also Middle English complicate (“involved”).
verb complicates · complicating · complicated
- To make complex; to modify so as to make something intricate or difficult. Let us, however, put aside for the moment the mendacities and forgeries which complicate the question of Lucifer, and let us approach Palladism from an altogether different side.
-
To involve in a convoluted matter.
Don't complicate yourself in issues that are beyond the scope of your understanding.
Similar: intricate, entangle, embroil, involve, mix up, mire
- To coexist with (another disease) creating a complication. Masked or larvate malaria, like pernicious malaria, needs complete overhauling. Nearly every disease in the category has been confounded with malaria and classed as larvate. This heterogeneous group has been expanded to embrace diseases unrelated to malaria, diseases complicating malaria, and sympto
Similar: complex, complexify, complicate, complify, confuscate, desimplify, elaborate, involve, jazz, make a meal of, perplex · Opposite: decomplexify, simplify, uncomplicate
adjective more complicate · most complicate
- Intertwined.
- Complex, complicated. How poor ? how rich ? how abject ? how auguſt ? ¶ How complicat ? how wonderful is Man ?
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: elaborate, perplex, refine, rarify, complex, confuse, impede, hinder, obstruct, jeopardize, hold, aggravate, worsen, ravel, make, convene
verb
Similar: complex, complexify, complicate, complify, confuscate, desimplify, elaborate, involve, jazz, make a meal of, perplex · Opposite: decomplexify, simplify, uncomplicate
Translations
Every language
verb to combine intricately
| Español | complicar, complejizar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 複雑にする fukuzatsu ni suru |
| 中文 | 弄複雜 /弄复杂 nòng fùzá, 複雜化 /复杂化 fùzáhuà |
| Português | complicar |
| Français | compliquer |
| Deutsch | komplizieren |
| Italiano | complicare |
| Română | complica |
| Русский | усложня́ть usložnjátʹ, усложни́ть usložnítʹ, осложня́ть osložnjátʹ, осложни́ть osložnítʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | làm phức tạp |
| العربية | تَعَقَّدَ taʕaqqada, عَقَّدَ ʕaqqada |
| עברית | סיבך sibékh |
Talk about this word "complicate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/complicate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. complicate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/complicate "complicate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/complicate.Cite this
@misc{complicate_2026,
title = {complicate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/complicate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
