Synonyms of elaborate

elaborate 1 of 3

adjective

i-ˈla-b(ə-)rət 

1

as in detailed

made or done with great care or with much detail

elaborate festivities for the 200th anniversary of the town's founding

Synonyms & Similar Words

• detailed
• intricate
• complicated
• elegant
• complex
• sophisticated
• fancy
• involved
• exquisite
• ornate
• magnificent
• extravagant
• splendid
• showy
• grandiose
• Byzantine
• convoluted
• grand
• exuberant
• flamboyant
• ostentatious
• frilly
• overwrought
• labyrinthine
• fancified
• souped-up
• involuted
• chichi
• labyrinthian
• involute
• gimmicked (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• simple
• unsophisticated
• modest
• plain
• uncomplicated
• no-frills
• unfancy
• unadorned
• naked
• bare
• bald
• unvarnished
• plain-vanilla
• undecorated
• plain-Jane

2

as in thorough

including many small descriptive features

the elaborate world known as Middle Earth that J.R.R. Tolkien created in his richly imagined novels

Synonyms & Similar Words

• detailed
• thorough
• full
• comprehensive
• particular
• descriptive
• particularized
• circumstantial
• accurate
• specific
• complete
• minute
• entire
• blow-by-blow
• graphic
• vivid
• precise
• explicit
• itemized
• panoramic
• copious
• exhaustive
• enumerated
• abundant
• distinct
• specified
• encyclopedic
• inclusive
• listed
• correct
• thoroughgoing
• exhausting
• exact
• picturesque
• in-depth
• numerated
• delineated
• replete
• omnibus
• inventoried
• inclusionary
• mapped (out)
• sharp

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• summary
• brief
• short
• compendious
• concise
• succinct
• pithy
• compact
• terse
• abbreviated
• vague
• crisp
• ambiguous
• cut
• trimmed
• curtailed
• sketchy
• abridged
• general
• shortened
• nebulous
• indeterminate
• pruned
• nondescript
• broad
• nonspecific
• unspecified
• overall
• bird's-eye

3

as in intricate

having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated

plans for a huge mall that will actually be an elaborate center for sports, entertainment, and shopping

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intricate
• complicated
• complicate
• complex
• sophisticated
• convoluted
• tangled
• labyrinthine
• involved
• baroque
• byzantine
• knotty
• difficult
• varied
• labyrinthian
• involute
• daedal
• mixed
• multifaceted
• composite
• multifarious
• heterogeneous
• challenging
• overcomplicated
• compound
• overcomplex
• inexplicable
• tough
• incomprehensible
• unintelligible
• multipart
• unfathomable
• multibranched
• impenetrable
• Kafkaesque

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• simple
• plain
• uncomplicated
• simplistic
• simplified
• noncomplex
• uniform
• noncomplicated
• homogeneous
• oversimplified
• unvaried

elaborate

2 of 3

verb (1)

i-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt 

as in to unfold

to gradually become clearer or more detailed

as mankind's understanding of the universe has elaborated

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unfold
• evolve
• progress
• develop
• proceed
• grow
• emerge
• mature
• get along
• get on
• march
• advance
• forge
• fare
• blossom
• materialize
• play out
• ripen

elaborate (on)

3 of 3

verb (2)

1

as in to exaggerate

to add to the interest of by including made-up details

my friend tends to elaborate on his hiking experiences, turning an ordinary walk in the woods into a hair-raising adventure

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exaggerate
• pad
• color
• enhance
• expand
• flesh (out)
• hyperbolize
• embroider
• enlarge (on or upon)
• embellish
• stretch
• emphasize
• magnify
• satirize
• dress up
• play up
• stress
• amplify
• overemphasize
• gussy up
• hedge
• overstate
• overdo
• overdraw
• caricature
• fudge
• overplay

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• minimize
• belittle
• understate
• play down

2

as in to develop

to express more fully and in greater detail

the candidate for governor refused to elaborate on how she would balance the state's budget

Synonyms & Similar Words

• develop
• expand
• flesh (out)
• enlarge (on or upon)
• supplement
• dilate (on or upon)
• add (to)
• amplify
• complement
• run on
• discourse
• expatiate
• ramble

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shorten
• contract
• condense
• summarize
• sum up
• outline
• compress
• abridge
• abbreviate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of elaborate

Adjective

For royal outings, she’s continued to pick midi-length dresses paired with elaborate headpieces and enviable suits as her uniform. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026

In a post on social media, Dunellen Borough Police Department posted a picture of an officer wearing an elaborate, camouflage outfit known as a ghillie suit, while holding up a pair of binoculars. — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Verb

Sankey didn’t elaborate on how many want some form of breakaway, and efforts to reach them were unsuccessful. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Both Kim and the company have not elaborated on how much was damaged. — ABC News, 23 July 2026

Phrases Containing elaborate

• elaborate (on)