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complicate

comp·li·cate

UK/ˈkɒmplɪkət/ US/ˈkɑmplɪkeɪt/ uncommon archaic obsolete

verb

1.

make more complicated

  • “There was a new development that complicated the matter”
Synonyms
Antonyms
2.

make more complex, intricate, or richer

  • “refine a design or pattern”
Synonyms

Origin

First attested in the early 17th century; borrowed from Latin complicātus, perfect passive participle of complicō (“to fold together, fold up”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- (“with, together with, in the company of, in connection with, along with, together, and”) + plicō (“to fold, wind, coil”); see plaid, and compare complex. See also Middle English complicate (“involved”).

Phrases

  • complicate fever

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.