complicated

1 of 2

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 2

past tense and past participle of complicate entry 1

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

For a complicated model with multiple color changes, the waste can become substantial. — New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026

Throw in a third massive object, though, and the math gets ridiculously more complicated and difficult to solve. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026

This speaks volumes to how complicated and vast the problem of textile waste has become. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

What emerges is a picture of migratory birds that is both more complicated and more remarkable than the simple arrows pointing between breeding and wintering ranges on a map. — Amy L. Scarpignato, The Conversation, 16 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