complicated

adjective

com·​pli·​cat·​ed ˈkäm-plə-ˌkā-təd 

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

complicatedly adverb

complicatedness noun

Synonyms

• complicate
• intricate
• complex
• sophisticated

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

Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans. —Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

In many ways, that has made keeping up with news about King Charles’ illness much more complicated. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2025

Like so many great figures of history, Nkrumah is a complicated person, one who preached lofty ideas that his own human nature prevented him from consistently living up to. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025

While many of the songs explore the complicated relationship between their upbringing in Texas and their queerness, Ponthier explains that there’s still a lot of joy on the record. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of complicate entry 1

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for complicated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated

Kids Definition

complicated

adjective

com·​pli·​cat·​ed ˈkäm-plə-ˌkāt-əd 

1

: consisting of many combined parts

complicated machinery

2

: difficult to analyze, understand, or explain : complex

complicatedly adverb

complicatedness noun

Medical Definition

complicated

adjective

com·​pli·​cat·​ed

of a bone fracture

: characterized by injury to nearby parts