complicated

adjective

com·​pli·​cat·​ed ˈkäm-plə-ˌkā-təd 

1

: consisting of parts intricately combined

a complicated recipe

complicated machinery

2

: difficult to analyze, understand, or explain

a complicated issue

his absurdly complicated life

complicatedly adverb

complicatedness noun

Synonyms

• baroque
• byzantine
• complex
• complicate
• convoluted
• daedal
• elaborate
• intricate
• involute
• involved
• knotty
• labyrinthian
• labyrinthine
• sophisticated
• tangled

Choose the Right Synonym for complicated

complex, complicated, intricate, involved, knotty mean having confusingly interrelated parts.

complex suggests the unavoidable result of a necessary combining and does not imply a fault or failure.

a complex recipe

complicated applies to what offers great difficulty in understanding, solving, or explaining.

complicated legal procedures

intricate suggests such interlacing of parts as to make it nearly impossible to follow or grasp them separately.

an intricate web of deceit

involved implies extreme complication and often disorder.

a rambling, involved explanation

knotty suggests complication and entanglement that make solution or understanding improbable.

knotty ethical questions

Examples of complicated in a Sentence

The game's rules are too complicated.

The machine has a complicated design.

Recent Examples on the Web

The common narrative suggests that European founders are less driven, that venture capital in Europe lags far behind, and that the continent’s fragmented markets and complicated regulatory environments stifle creativity and innovation. —Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Things get complicated and reinforcements are sent from the capital to solve the case. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024

Food safety experts told Popular Science this uptick in deadly food safety blunders may stem from a chaotic mix of complicated global supply chains, regulatory sluggishness, and shifting appetites for bacteria-prone pre-prepared foods. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 24 Oct. 2024

And while that was somewhat true, the film is refreshingly dotted with humor that could have ruined the seriousness of the situation at hand and instead makes these ominous, serious and devout Catholic figureheads feel like real, complicated humans, which only adds to the nuance of the film. —Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of complicate entry 1

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

complicated

adjective

com·​pli·​cat·​ed ˈkäm-plə-ˌkāt-əd 

1

: consisting of many combined parts

complicated machinery

2

: difficult to analyze, understand, or explain : complex

complicatedly adverb

complicatedness noun

Medical Definition

complicated

adjective

com·​pli·​cat·​ed

of a bone fracture

: characterized by injury to nearby parts