complicated

1 of 3

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

complicated

2 of 3

past tense and past participle of complicate entry 1

complicatedness

3 of 3

noun

com·​pli·​cat·​ed·​ness

ˈkäm-plə-ˌkā-təd-nəs

plural -es

: complicacy

Synonyms of complicated

Adjective

• 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

Adjective

The game's rules are too complicated.

The machine has a complicated design.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This medicine may still be out of reach for patients who cannot afford it, don’t have access to cancer care, or who struggle to navigate complicated health care and insurance systems. — Stat Staff, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026

The move quickly drew reaction from cruise passengers online, with some questioning whether the new system could make budgeting for a trip more complicated. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

In many places, a single team is blacked out on League Pass, but things can get more complicated, particularly in states without teams. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Superconductivity at practical temperatures is clearly a complicated business. — Sven Badoux, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of complicate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

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