WordGarden.iocomplicate
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /kˈɒmplɪkˌeɪt/
US
- /ˈkɑmpləˌkeɪt/
Meanings
Verb
to make something harder, less simple, or more confusing
to add a medical problem that makes an illness or treatment worse
Beyond the definition
Life is rarely simple, and sometimes things become complicated—they get more complex or confusing. Imagine building with LEGOs; a few pieces are easy to manage, but add hundreds of tiny, specialized parts and you've complicated the process! While it can describe making something physically intricate, like a highly detailed blueprint, it most often describes making a situation harder to understand, like when someone tells a story with too many unnecessary details. If you try to explain the nuances of quantum physics to someone without a science background, you might complicate things unnecessarily.
The word comes from the Latin complicare, meaning "to fold together" (from com- "together" and plicare "to fold"). Think of a flat piece of paper being folded and twisted into a multi-layered shape—that's the essence of complicating something! You can also complicate matters by overthinking a simple decision or adding extra steps to a straightforward task.
To complicate something is to make it more difficult, complex, or involved. It suggests taking a relatively simple situation and introducing new factors that create problems, obstacles, or layers of difficulty. For example: "The unexpected rain complicated our picnic plans," meaning the weather introduced a new problem that made the original plan harder to execute. Similarly, "His constant interruptions complicated the meeting," suggests that his actions hindered a productive, straightforward discussion.
While complicate can occasionally refer to physical things—like an intricate design with many overlapping parts—it is most frequently used for abstract difficulties. A politician might complicate a policy issue by using technical jargon or avoiding direct answers. It is also a common term in medicine, where one illness might complicate another, making the treatment more difficult.
It's important to note that something isn't necessarily "bad" just because it's complex. Sometimes complexity is unavoidable—like the internal workings of a computer or a legal contract. However, the act of complicating things usually implies adding unnecessary difficulty. We often use the word "overcomplicate" when someone is being too clever or thorough for their own good.
The word is frequently used in the passive voice—"it's complicated"—to describe relationships or situations that aren't easily explained. While you won't often hear the reflexive "complicate oneself" in English, you will see people complicate their lives or their situations by getting involved in troublesome affairs. Whether it's a confusing explanation or a task with too many moving parts, complicate describes the act of making things more challenging than they need to be.
Examples
- 1
Booking process
A last-minute change could complicate the booking process.
- 2
Travel plans
The heavy rain complicated our travel plans.
- 3
Sports preparation
His injury has complicated the team's preparation for the final.
- 4
Social planning
I didn't want to complicate things by inviting both of them.
- Patterncomplicate things by doing X
make a situation harder because of that action
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Added cause
The problem was complicated by the fact that no one had saved the original file.
- Patternbe complicated by + cause
become harder because of something else
- 6
Public apology
Their apology helped, but the leaked emails only complicated matters.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- complicate matters
- complicate things
- complicate the issue
- further complicate
Word family
Explore
- complexity
- compounding factors
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- complicateverb
Forms
- complicatedpast tenseverb
- complicating-ing formverb
- complicatesverb