sophisticate
verb
\
Definition of sophisticate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to alter deceptively especially : adulterate
2 : to deprive of genuineness, naturalness, or simplicity especially : to deprive of naïveté and make worldly-wise : disillusion
3 : to make complicated or complex
sophisticate
noun
-stə-ˌkāt\
Definition of sophisticate (Entry 2 of 2)
: a sophisticated person
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Synonyms & Antonyms for sophisticate
Synonyms: Verb
adulterate, cut, dilute, extend, lace, thin, water down, weaken
Synonyms: Noun
city slicker, cosmopolitan, cosmopolite, metropolitan, slicker
Antonyms: Verb
enrich, fortify, richen, strengthen
Antonyms: Noun
bumpkin, hick, provincial, rustic, yokel
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Examples of sophisticate in a Sentence
Verb
there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrupNoun
sophisticates laughing at people they thought of as hicks
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Which is to the benefit of anyone who values music at once sophisticated in content but accessible in musical gesture. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "From Bernstein to Broadway to Latin jazz," 12 July 2018 But in fact, sophisticated, back-and-forth conversations are happening all around us. — Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian, "Some Animals Take Turns While Talking, Just Like Humans. Why?," 20 June 2018 Neither do sophisticated, authenticity-craving Parisians who choose Arles for their southern pied-à-terre. — Stephen Heyman, Condé Nast Traveler, "Arles, France’s Old Arts Mecca, Is Also Its Newest," 1 May 2018 The process can be a financially and administratively painful one, but the IRS is supposed to have sophisticated computer systems that can process millions of last-minute filers. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "IRS to delay tax deadline by one day after agency's Tax Day technology collapse," 17 Apr. 2018 The process can be a financially and administratively painful one, but the IRS is supposed to have sophisticated computer systems that can process millions of last-minute filers. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "IRS extends tax-filing deadline after computer glitch," 17 Apr. 2018 The process can be a financially and administratively painful one, but the IRS is supposed to have sophisticated computer systems that can process millions of last-minute filers. — Carol Robinson, AL.com, "70-year-old man killed in west Alabama crash," 17 Apr. 2018 While Cooper is typically sophisticated in his anti-Trump rhetoric, Cuomo attacks the president with more zeal. — Brian Flood, Fox News, "CNN slashes Anderson Cooper’s program as network hopes to make room for anti-Trump Chris Cuomo," 14 Mar. 2018 Alessandro Michele’s rebrand had infused the company with flamboyance, joie de vivre, whimsy and sass, but looking at some outfits suggested Ed Hardy’s sophisticated older cousin, Édouard. — Jon Caramanica, New York Times, "Is Bally More Interesting Than Gucci? Depends Who’s Tweeting," 13 Sep. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
But even 21st century sophisticates will gape at Houdini’s escapes, some of which were extraordinarily dangerous. — Mary Carole Mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Behind the magic of Harry Houdini at the Jewish Museum of Maryland," 29 June 2018 At the time, the store represented everything to which a young sophisticate could aspire. — Christina Binkley, WSJ, "The Secret Inside Tiffany’s Blue Box: Reed Krakoff," 26 Mar. 2018 These are primarily between urban Eastern sophisticates and the great unwashed masses of flyover country, most of whom can no longer afford to take their family to even one football fiesta per season. — Andrew Malcolm, San Francisco Chronicle, "NFL controversy is about so much more than a flag," 31 May 2018 Lindsay, the WASPy sophisticate, argued that poverty and discrimination were the root causes of the rioting and that the commission’s job was to propose ambitious programs to address these historical wrongs. — Edward Kosner, WSJ, "‘Separate and Unequal’ Review: ‘Two Societies, One Black, One White’," 2 Mar. 2018 One is about well-to-do Manhattan sophisticates, the other focuses on a blue-collar family trying to make ends meet in flyover country. — Kristi Turnquist, OregonLive.com, "How 'Roseanne,' 'Westworld,' #MeToo and more make TV a culture wars battleground -- again," 17 May 2018 One of the earliest television shows broadcast in color, Rocky and His Friends was clever, fast-paced, and funny, appealing equally to little kids, urbane sophisticates, and anarchic beatniks. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "Amazon’s Rocky and Bullwinkle brings back an old favorite… but why?," 11 May 2018 Quiroz is the urban sophisticate, bright and articulate, with a round laughing face and connections with the best restaurants in Mexico City. — Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, "The Hunt for Mexico’s Heirloom Beans," 17 Apr. 2018 The state launched two exceeding long shots, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, to the White House, giving each a look and listen when sophisticates elsewhere treated their campaigns as the stuff of cockeyed fantasy. — Mark Z. Barabak, latimes.com, "Eric Garcetti, presidential long shot, journeys to Iowa, the land of dreams," 15 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sophisticate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for sophisticate
sophisticate
noun
English Language Learners Definition of sophisticate
: a person who has a lot of knowledge about the world and about culture, art, literature, etc. : a sophisticated person
See the full definition for sophisticate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sophisticate
transitive verb
\
Medical Definition of sophisticate
: to make impure : adulterate a sophisticated oil
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