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complicated

adjective
com路​pli路​cat路​ed | \ 藞k盲m-pl蓹-藢k膩-t蓹d How to pronounce complicated (audio) \

Definition of complicated

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
Other Words from complicated Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about complicated

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Other Words from complicated

complicatedly adverb
complicatedness noun

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

 However, at the minute, this deal looks complicated as there is no definitive agreement from anyone involved. — SI.com, "Barcelona & Juventus Discussing Several Potential Swap Deals Including 5 Players," 2 Sep. 2019 The situation has become complicated for state officials because a Bristol couple filed a lawsuit three months ago that seeks to block the release of the most recent data and also asks for the previous data to be removed from the state鈥檚 website. — Christopher Keating, courant.com, "Gov. Ned Lamont overrules health commissioner; supports new law to release immunization data," 28 Aug. 2019 Some will think this is bat-guano bonkers, others won鈥檛, but the political reality is that this storyline is just too complicated to replace the Mueller narrative. — Jonah Goldberg, National Review, "Without a Suitable Enemy, Trump Is Adrift," 28 Aug. 2019 Future mass estimates will give a clearer picture, but first LIGO-Virgo will have to check the wave against our best models, which are too complicated to run overnight. — Charlie Wood, Scientific American, "Astronomers Spy a Black Hole Devouring a Neutron Star," 19 Aug. 2019 That鈥檚 one consequence of a major new proof about how complicated numbers yield to simple approximations. — Wired, "A Major Proof Shows How to Approximate Numbers Like Pi," 18 Aug. 2019 That鈥檚 one consequence of a major new proof about how complicated numbers yield to simple approximations. — Quanta Magazine, "New Proof Settles How to Approximate Numbers Like Pi," 14 Aug. 2019 If Jeffrey Epstein actually had hundreds of millions of dollars at his disposal, the fight over who gets that money just got more complicated for his victims. — Stephen Gandel, CBS News, "Who will get Jeff Epstein's hundreds of millions of dollars?," 12 Aug. 2019 To make matters more complicated, the signs can depend on the child鈥檚 age. — Tamekia Reece, Good Housekeeping, "How to Spot and Treat Anxiety in Kids, According to Child Psychologists," 7 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'complicated.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of complicated

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for complicated

see complicate entry 2

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More Definitions for complicated

complicated

adjective
How to pronounce complicated (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of complicated

: hard to understand, explain, or deal with : having many parts or steps

See the full definition for complicated in the English Language Learners Dictionary

complicated

adjective
com路​pli路​cat路​ed | \ 藞k盲m-pl蓹-藢k膩-t蓹d How to pronounce complicated (audio) \

Kids Definition of complicated

: difficult to understand or explain complicated rules

complicated

adjective
com路​pli路​cat路​ed

Medical Definition of complicated

of a bone fracture
: characterized by injury to nearby parts

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More from Merriam-Webster on complicated

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with complicated

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for complicated

Spanish Central: Translation of complicated

Nglish: Translation of complicated for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of complicated for Arabic Speakers

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