complicated

The word “complicated” means made up of many interconnected parts, making it hard to understand or deal with. In plain terms, not simple — tangled, intricate, or hard to follow.

“Complicated” is pronounced KOM-plih-kay-tihd (/ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/ in IPA).

Here is “complicated” used in a sentence: “The tax form was far more complicated than she expected.”

The opposite of “complicated” — its antonyms — is simple.

“Complicated” is an adjective.

“Complicated” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Something complicated has many interconnected parts but can still be understood and untangled with enough effort — a wristwatch or a tax form. Something complex has parts that interact to produce unpredictable, emergent behaviour that resists being reduced, like an ecosystem or an economy. Complicated things can be solved; complex ones can only be navigated.

It often carries a mildly negative tone. Calling something complicated usually suggests it is harder to follow or deal with than one would like, or more tangled than necessary. It is not an insult, but the common wish to 'keep it simple' shows why complicated frequently signals frustration rather than praise.

The clearest opposites are simple, straightforward, and easy. Where something complicated has many tangled parts that slow understanding, a simple thing has few parts and a plain structure you can grasp at once. 'Uncomplicated' is also used directly when you want to stress the absence of needless difficulty.