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| Main Entry: |
complicate
 [v. kom-pli-keyt; adj. kom-pli-kit] 
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confuse, make difficult |
| Synonyms: | add fuel to fire, bedevil, clog, combine, confound, convolute, derange, disarrange, disorder, elaborate, embroil, entangle, fold, foul up, handicap, impede, infold, interfuse, interrelate, interweave, involve, jumble, make intricate, make waves, mix up, muck up, muddle, multiply, obscure, open can of worms, perplex, ravel, render unintelligible, screw up, snafu, snag, snarl up, tangle, twist, upset |
| Antonyms: | disentangle, ease, explain, facilitate, make simple, untangle |
| Main Entry: | abstruse |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | difficult to understand |
| Synonyms: | Greek to me, abstract, clear as dishwater, complex, complicated, deep, enigmatic, esoteric, heavy*, hidden, incomprehensible, intricate, involved, muddy, obscure, perplexing, profound, puzzling, recondite, subtle, unfathomable, vague |
| Antonyms: | clear, concrete, easy, lucid, obvious, plain, simple |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | aggravate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause to become worse |
| Synonyms: | complicate, deepen, enhance, exacerbate, exaggerate, heighten, increase, inflame, intensify, magnify, mount, rise, rouse, worsen |
| Notes: | to aggravate is to make something worse, while to exacerbate is to increase something's bitterness or harshness aggravate means 'to add to' an already troublesome or vexing matter or condition while irritate means 'to vex, annoy, or chafe' irritate means 'inflame' (originally 'excite, rouse'); aggravate means 'worsen' |
| Antonyms: | alleviate, help, improve, relieve, soothe |
Example Sentences
- Of course, it's more complicated than that, but not by much when.
- Chimps have to navigate complicated social structures in their groups.
- Stem cell research is a complicated scientific endeavor.
| Main Entry: | circuitous |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | going around, indirect |
| Synonyms: | ambagious, back road, by way of, circular, collateral, complicated, devious, labyrinthine, long way, long way around, meandering, oblique, rambling, roundabout, tortuous, winding around |
| Antonyms: | direct, in line, straight |
| Main Entry: | complex |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | involved, intricate |
| Synonyms: | circuitous, complicated, composite, compound, compounded, confused, conglomerate, convoluted, elaborate, entangled, heterogeneous, knotty, labyrinthine, manifold, mingled, miscellaneous, mixed, mixed-up, mosaic, motley, multifarious, multiform, multiple, multiplex, tangled, tortuous, variegated |
| Antonyms: | clear, easy, evident, homogeneous, obvious, plain, simple, uniform |
| Main Entry: | complex |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | difficult to understand |
| Synonyms: | Byzantine, Daedalean, Gordian, abstruse, bewildering, circuitous, complicated, confused, convoluted, crabbed, cryptic, discursive, disordered, disturbing, enigmatic, entangled, excursive, hidden, impenetrable, inscrutable, interwoven, intricate, involved, jumbled, knotted, knotty, labyrinthine, mazy, meandering, mingled, mixed, muddled, obscure, paradoxical, perplexing, puzzling, rambling, recondite, round-about, sinuous, snarled, sophisticated, tangled, tortuous, undecipherable, unfathomable, winding |
| Antonyms: | apparent, clear, direct, discernible, easy, evident, obvious, plain |
| Main Entry: | confuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bewilder someone |
| Synonyms: | abash, addle, amaze, astonish, baffle, becloud, bedevil, befuddle, bemuse, cloud, clutter, complicate, confound, darken, daze, demoralize, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, disorient, distract, embarrass, faze, fluster, fog, frustrate, fuddle, involve, lead astray, mess up*, misinform, mislead, mortify, muddle, mystify, nonplus, obscure, perplex, perturb, puzzle, rattle, render uncertain, shame, stir up, stump, throw off, throw off balance, trouble, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry |
| Antonyms: | clarify, clear up, enlighten, explain |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | dark |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | hidden, secret |
| Synonyms: | Delphian, abstruse, anagogic, arcane, cabalistic, complicated, concealed, cryptic, deep, enigmatic, esoteric, intricate, knotty, mysterious, mystic, mystical, mystifying, not known, obscure, occult, puzzling, recondite |
| Antonyms: | apparent, distinct, evident, manifest, plain, visible |
| Main Entry: | detailed |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | itemized, particularized |
| Synonyms: | abundant, accurate, all-inclusive, amplified, at length, blow-by-blow, circumstantial, circumstantiated, clocklike, complete, complicated, comprehensive, copious, definite, described, developed, disclosed, elaborate, elaborated, enumerated, exact, exhausting, exhaustive, finicky*, full, fussy*, individual, individualized, intricate, meticulous, minute, narrow, nice, point-by-point, precise, seriatim, specific, specified, thorough, unfolded |
| Antonyms: | brief, cursory, inexhaustive, nonspecific, sparing, uncomplicated, undetailed |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2012 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2012 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
