sophisticate
/sə'fistikeit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To make something more complex, refined, or worldly: To add complexity, refinement, or worldly knowledge to something or someone.
- To alter or adulterate something, often to deceive: To make something impure or less genuine by adding other elements, sometimes with an intent to mislead.
- To use sophistry; to argue in a deceptive or misleading way: To employ clever but false arguments, or to distort the meaning of something.
Noun:
- A sophisticated person: A person who is experienced in and knowledgeable about the ways of the world, especially its culture and fashion.
Examples
Verb:
- Travel can sophisticate one's taste in art and food. (To make more complex/refined)
- Some manufacturers sophisticate olive oil with cheaper oils. (To alter/adulterate)
- Politicians sometimes sophisticate simple issues to avoid giving a direct answer. (To use sophistry)
Noun:
- The party was full of wealthy sophisticates discussing philosophy and wine. (A sophisticated person)
Advanced Usage
- As a past participle adjective ("sophisticated"): This is the most common form. It describes something as complex, refined, worldly, or not naive.
- She has a sophisticated understanding of international law.
- This is a highly sophisticated piece of machinery.
Variants and Related Words
- Sophistication (n): The quality of being sophisticated.
- The sophistication of the software impressed the engineers.
- Sophisticated (adj): The common adjective form meaning complex, refined, or worldly.
- Sophistry (n): The use of clever but false arguments, intended to deceive.
- His argument was pure sophistry.
Synonyms
- Verb (to refine): Complicate, refine, educate, worldly.
- Verb (to adulterate): Adulterate, tamper with, dilute, corrupt.
- Verb (to use sophistry): Misrepresent, distort, twist, equivocate.
- Noun: Connoisseur, cosmopolitan, worldly person.
Related Phrases
- To sophisticate an argument: To make an argument unnecessarily complex or misleading.
- He tried to sophisticate the argument to hide the weak premise.
- A young sophisticate: A young person who displays worldly tastes and knowledge.
- At eighteen, she was already a young sophisticate.
Related Idioms
- A veneer of sophistication: A superficial appearance of being sophisticated.
- His expensive suit gave him only a veneer of sophistication.
Verb
- make more complex or refined
- a sophisticated design
- alter and make impure, as with the intention to deceive
- Sophisticate rose water with geraniol
- practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
- Don't twist my words
- make less natural or innocent
- Their manners had sophisticated the young girls