complicate

1 of 2

verb

com·​pli·​cate ˈkäm-plə-ˌkāt 

complicated; complicating

transitive verb

1

: to make complex or difficult

2

: involve

especially : to cause to be more complex or severe

a virus disease complicated by bacterial infection

3

: to combine especially in an involved or inextricable manner

complicate

2 of 2

adjective

com·​pli·​cate ˈkäm-pli-kət 

1

: complex, intricate

2

: conduplicate

Synonyms

Verb

• complex
• complexify
• embarrass
• entangle
• perplex
• sophisticate

Adjective

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

Examples of complicate in a Sentence

Verb

Changing jobs now would complicate her life.

a disease complicated by infection

Adjective

the kind of complicate machinery that is used in the field of robotics

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The love triangle is already complicated by the intrusive memories of Mark’s outie, who is pining after the specter of his dead wife, Gemma (Dichen Lachman), but the situation reaches unprecedented messiness after Helena Eagan tracks down Mark’s outie in a restaurant and flirts with him. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

The questions were as straightforward as the technicalities were complicated: how should Gaza be governed and reconstructed after the Israel-Hamas war is over, without having to resort to ethnic cleansing? —Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025

Adjective

What the presence of TSMC does do is complicate an already complex situation. —Kerry Brown, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025

That the aircraft impacted the ground so violently will no doubt complicate investigators' work, given the state of the physical evidence, Axios' Fitzpatrick adds. —Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 2 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

earlier, "to fold together, intertwine, combine in an involved manner," borrowed from Medieval Latin complicātus, past participle of complicāre "to fold together, wrap around, envelop, interweave" — more at complicate entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin complicātus, from past participle of complicāre "to fold together, wrap around, envelop, interweave," going back to Latin, "to fold together, fold up," from com- com- + plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

First Known Use

Verb

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing complicate

• complicate matters

Rhymes for complicate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

complicate

verb

com·​pli·​cate

ˈkäm-plə-ˌkāt

complicated; complicating

: to make or become complex or difficult

Medical Definition

complicate

transitive verb

com·​pli·​cate ˈkäm-plə-ˌkāt 

complicated; complicating

: to cause to be more complex or severe

a virus disease complicated by bacterial infection