complicated 1 of 2

complicated

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verb

past tense of complicate

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective complicated differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of complicated are complex, intricate, involved, and knotty. While all these words mean "having confusingly interrelated parts," complicated applies to what offers great difficulty in understanding, solving, or explaining.

complicated legal procedures

When might complex be a better fit than complicated?

The words complex and complicated can be used in similar contexts, but complex suggests the unavoidable result of a necessary combining and does not imply a fault or failure.

a complex recipe

When would intricate be a good substitute for complicated?

The synonyms intricate and complicated are sometimes interchangeable, but intricate suggests such interlacing of parts as to make it nearly impossible to follow or grasp them separately.

an intricate web of deceit

When is it sensible to use involved instead of complicated?

The words involved and complicated are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, involved implies extreme complication and often disorder.

a rambling, involved explanation

When is knotty a more appropriate choice than complicated?

Although the words knotty and complicated have much in common, knotty suggests complication and entanglement that make solution or understanding improbable.

knotty ethical questions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of complicated
Adjective
The issue is getting more complicated due to rapid advancements in drone technology driven by the theater of war in Ukraine. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025 What makes something so complicated is when there’s no one to blame — that would be so easy. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2025 However, the landscape in Gaza was much more complicated, requiring approval from Palestinian and Israeli authorities to leave Gaza and permission from Egyptian or Jordanian authorities to enter those countries. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025 Some of this ‘fresh stock’ is explained by such properties having hit an ancestral dead-end: many villas have been handed down through local families for generations and some are now owned by multiple grandchildren who would prefer to sell than manage a complicated ‘who stays when’ calendar. Lysanne Currie, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for complicated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicated
Adjective
  • There are extensive drawbacks to using nuclear weapons, including their very destructiveness—which could undermine larger objectives or complicate battlefield operations—and the international backlash that would follow.
    Paul Avey, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Since the Trump administration took office, environmental activists have feared that certain existing standards could be rolled back and further complicate efforts to clean up American water supplies.
    Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The reform was originally expected to take effect on April 1, 2025, but implementation is pending as detailed regulations and procedural guidelines have yet to be issued.
    Aleksandra Bal, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The launchable model is a detailed recreation of the Falcon 9 and retails for $149.99.
    Space.com Staff, Space.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • However, salt damage incurred in the 1970s due to the installation of a heated concrete slab, which aggravated the salt stored in the 18th and 19th centuries, threatened the church’s structural integrity.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2025
  • Prior to the game, Mosley said Gary Harris, who missed Friday’s game, re-aggravated his left hamstring strain against the Pistons.
    Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Talk into the night devolves into an intricate web of deception, seduction and revelation, where the lives of all involved may be destroyed or transformed.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Debugging intricate prompt chains can also be challenging.
    Mohammad Adnan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Those on the inside track have already discovered white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a racy but complex regional style of white wine that is popping up on tables and shelves with increasing frequency.
    Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025
  • While most jurisdictions are moving forward with digital tax reforms to ensure that foreign providers contribute to public revenue, the Dominican Republic has so far stepped back—highlighting the complex political and economic considerations that influence digital tax policy.
    Aleksandra Bal, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This delivered incredible accessibility, flexibility and efficiency, but also deepened the digital divide for those without technology access, blurred work-life boundaries and fueled loneliness.
    Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
  • While the stock market has been in a rut for more than a week, Wall Street’s woes deepened Wednesday after the Fed released economic projections that showed signs of slipping progress in the fight against inflation.
    Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • In a world of increasingly frequent and sophisticated digital threats, the loss of cybersecurity personnel could weaken America’s defenses against ransomware, espionage, and infrastructure disruption.
    Solange Charas, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The engagement algorithms for such platforms are vastly less sophisticated than the ones that will be deployed in agentic A.I.
    Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Many organizations have elaborate feedback systems that create the illusion of open communication while actually reinforcing the status quo.
    Tracy Lawrence, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • That’s accurate, and the reason why nothing about his promotion is believable, not unless the studio is an elaborate money-laundering scheme.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Complicated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicated. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

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