complicate
/'kɔmplikeit/
Definition
- Verb:
- To make something more complex, intricate, or difficult to understand: The core meaning is to introduce factors that increase difficulty or intricacy.
- To make a situation, process, or issue more involved or tangled: Often implies adding complications that cause problems or confusion.
Examples of Usage
- Verb:
- Adding too many rules will only complicate the process.
- The discovery of new evidence complicated the investigation.
- Please don't complicate things; we need a simple solution.
Advanced Usage
"to complicate matters": A common phrase meaning to make a situation more difficult.
- To complicate matters, the main witness changed her story.
"to complicate one's life": To make one's personal circumstances more difficult or stressful.
- Taking on a second job would complicate her life too much.
Variants and Related Words
- Complicated (adj): Consisting of many interconnected parts; complex.
- The instructions were too complicated to follow.
- Complication (n): A factor or circumstance that makes something more difficult or complex.
- A sudden illness was an unexpected complication.
Synonyms
- Entangle: To involve in a complicated situation.
- Muddle: To make confused or messy.
- Confuse: To make less clear or harder to understand.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Complicate" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically expressed directly.)
Related Idioms
- "Throw a wrench/spanner in the works": To cause a complication that disrupts a process.
- The budget cut threw a wrench in the works for our project.
Verb
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make more complex, intricate, or richer
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refine a design or pattern
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make more complicated
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There was a new development that complicated the matter
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