complicated

[ kom-pli-key-tid ]

adjective

1. composed of elaborately interconnected parts; complex:

   complicated apparatus for measuring brain functions.

2. difficult to analyze, understand, explain, etc.:

   a complicated problem.

   Synonyms: knotty, tangled, involved

complicated

/ ˈkɒmplɪˌkeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. made up of intricate parts or aspects that are difficult to understand or analyse

Derived Forms

• ˈcompliˌcatedness, noun
• ˈcompliˌcatedly, adverb

Other Words From

• compli·cated·ly adverb
• compli·cated·ness noun
• un·compli·cated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of complicated¹

First recorded in 1640–50; complicate + -ed ²

Example Sentences

"Getting more parks and trees into cities is complicated work, and I realised that a simple metric could take the mystery out of it and set a proper benchmark based on evidence," he said.

From Science Daily

Along the way, we spoke to migrants who shared their complicated reasons for putting their lives in the hands of people smugglers.

From BBC

It’s billed as an answer to the purported complexity of Medicaid, but makes the system more complicated for enrollees and administrators.

From Los Angeles Times

Repatriating human remains is more complicated than returning artefacts.

From BBC

Dressed in green leather pants and a matching green cardigan, Mase was offering a simple solution to a complicated problem.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• arduous
• convoluted
• difficult
• fancy
• hard
• intricate
• knotty
• perplexing
• problematic
• sophisticated
• troublesome