complicate
complicate Lexical Profile
complicate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To make something more intricate, confusing, or difficult to deal with or understand.
"Adding last-minute regulatory requirements will only complicate the merger negotiations."
To make a medical condition or illness more severe or difficult to treat by introducing secondary symptoms or disorders.
"A secondary bacterial infection can complicate recovery from seasonal influenza."
• adjective
Folded together or longitudinally upon itself, as the wings of certain insects or the leaves of plants in the bud.
"The entomologist noted the complicate venation and folding pattern of the wasp's forewings."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an adjective, 'complicate' (pronounced with a short 'i' in the final syllable, /ˈkɒmplɪkət/) is restricted to technical biological contexts meaning folded together; in general usage, the participial adjective 'complicated' is used instead.
• Rhymes for complicate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Latin complicātus, the past participle of complicāre ('to fold together'), formed from com- ('together') and plicāre ('to fold').