complicate

1 of 2

verb

com·​pli·​cate ˈkäm-plə-ˌkāt How to pronounce complicate (audio)
complicated; complicating

transitive verb

1
: to make complex or difficult
2
: involve
especially : to cause to be more complex or severe
a virus disease complicated by bacterial infection
3
: to combine especially in an involved or inextricable manner

complicate

2 of 2

adjective

com·​pli·​cate ˈkäm-pli-kət How to pronounce complicate (audio)

Examples of complicate in a Sentence

Verb Changing jobs now would complicate her life. a disease complicated by infection Adjective the kind of complicate machinery that is used in the field of robotics
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The addition of a novel germ has complicated and expanded respiratory virus season, which was already notoriously difficult to predict. Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 The situation complicates the Biden administration’s tandem goals of building out renewable energy and equitably preserving natural habitats. POLITICAL CLIMATE California gas prices could rise 50 cents next year due to a climate program. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Border issues have complicated other funding measures, as well. Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 But efforts to position Biden as a champion of democracy have been complicated by his support of Israel’s war in Gaza, whose opponents have followed him on the campaign trail. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2024 The company told Duckworth the work to fix the anti-ice issue is complicated. Alex Sundby, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024 That has been complicated by high interest rates, which have made refinancing expensive, and stress in the banking sector, which is holding about $3 trillion of outstanding commercial real estate debt. Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 But just weeks prior to the UN gathering, Xi’s decision to formally greet the Taliban’s ambassador in Beijing complicated that effort, significantly chipping away at global opposition to normalization with Kabul. Asfandyar Mir, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, each actor's performance as a soft, contemplative elder statesman has a soulful, grandfatherly quality that complicates the damage that their characters do. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The world’s biggest economy is importing more from its southern neighbor than China for the first time in decades, as tensions with Beijing complicate things. Susan Howson, Quartz, 11 Feb. 2024 California ‘Conflicting statements’ complicate investigation into Jewish man’s death at protest Nov. 7, 2023 Advertisement The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said the incident was reported just after 3:20 p.m. Sunday. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023 Secret audio, a star witness, and 'Thai prostitutes' complicate Sam Bankman-Fried's defense Gemini’s owners, the Winklevoss twins, have said Genesis owed more than $900 million to some 340,000 customers using the Earn program. Allison Morrow, CNN, 19 Oct. 2023 Bananas have high sugar which can lead to or further complicate diabetes in your cat. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2023 For winemakers, 2020 was the year that ‘dropped us to our knees’ Second, spring frosts complicate planning for the autumn’s harvest, especially when damage is scattered throughout a vineyard rather than uniform. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 6 July 2023 The decision in this case could heighten scrutiny of large companies in their treatment of workers who belong to groups protected against discrimination as well as complicate efforts to discipline workers charged with improving a company's performance on racial justice issues, experts said. Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 June 2023 Those all significantly complicate hitting them with interceptor missiles. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023 The recent moves by Tesla — whose Model Y was the top-selling vehicle in Europe last quarter — complicate Renault Chief Executive Officer Luca de Meo’s efforts to keep sticker prices elevated even as parts shortages ease. Albertina Torsoli, Bloomberg.com, 20 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'complicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

earlier, "to fold together, intertwine, combine in an involved manner," borrowed from Medieval Latin complicātus, past participle of complicāre "to fold together, wrap around, envelop, interweave" — more at complicate entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin complicātus, from past participle of complicāre "to fold together, wrap around, envelop, interweave," going back to Latin, "to fold together, fold up," from com- com- + plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

First Known Use

Verb

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of complicate was in 1638

Dictionary Entries Near complicate

Cite this Entry

“Complicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complicate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

complicate

verb
com·​pli·​cate
ˈkäm-plə-ˌkāt
complicated; complicating
: to make or become complex or difficult

Medical Definition

complicate

transitive verb
com·​pli·​cate ˈkäm-plə-ˌkāt How to pronounce complicate (audio)
complicated; complicating
: to cause to be more complex or severe
a virus disease complicated by bacterial infection

More from Merriam-Webster on complicate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!