Word Study
complicate
CIDE DICTIONARY
complicate, a. [L. complicatus, p. p. of complicare to fold together. See Complex.].
- Composed of two or more parts united; complex; complicated; involved. [1913 Webster]"How poor, how rich, how abject, how august,
How complicate, how wonderful is man!" [1913 Webster] - Folded together, or upon itself, with the fold running lengthwise. [1913 Webster]
complicate, v. t.
To fold or twist together; to combine intricately; to make complex; to combine or associate so as to make intricate or difficult. [1913 Webster]
"Nor can his complicated sinews fail." [1913 Webster]
"Avarice and luxury very often become one complicated principle of action." [1913 Webster]
"When the disease is complicated with other diseases." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
complicate, v.tr. & intr.
1 (often foll. by with) make or become difficult, confused, or complex.
2 (as complicated adj.) complex; intricate.
1 (often foll. by with) make or become difficult, confused, or complex.
2 (as complicated adj.) complex; intricate.
Derivative
complicatedly adv. complicatedness n.
Etymology
L complicare complicat- (as COM-, plicare fold)
THESAURUS
complicate
accelerate, add, adjoin, affix, agglutinate, aggravate, annex, append, attach, ball up, beef up, blow up, burden, concentrate, condense, confound, confuse, conjoin, consolidate, decorate, deepen, derange, disarrange, disorder, double, embrangle, encumber, enhance, entangle, exacerbate, exaggerate, foul up, garble, glue on, heat up, heighten, hitch on, hop up, hot up, implicate, infix, intensify, involve, jazz up, join with, jumble, key up, knot, louse up, magnify, make complex, make unintelligible, mess up, mix up, muck, muck up, muddle, mystify, obfuscate, obscure, ornament, paste on, perplex, plus, postfix, prefix, put with, ramify, ravel, redouble, reinforce, saddle with, scramble, screw up, shadow, sharpen, slap on, snafu, snarl, snarl up, soup up, step up, strengthen, subjoin, suffix, superadd, superpose, tack on, tag, tag on, tangle, triple, unite with, upset, whetROGET THESAURUS
complicate
Complexity
VB complexify, complicate.Derangement
VB derange, disarrange, misarrange, displace, misplace, mislay, discompose, disorder, deorganize, discombobulate, disorganize, embroil, unsettle, disturb, confuse, trouble, perturb, jumble, tumble, shuffle, randomize, huddle, muddle, toss, hustle, fumble, riot, bring into disorder, put into disorder, throw into disorder, muss, break the ranks, disconcert, convulse, break in upon, unhinge, dislocate, put out of joint, throw out of gear, turn topsy-turvy, bedevil, complicate, involve, perplex, confound, imbrangle, embrangle, tangle, entangle, ravel, tousle, towzle, dishevel, ruffle, rumple, litter, scatter, mix, rearrange.For further exploring for "complicate" in Webster Dictionary Online
