# complicate

/ˈkɑmpɫəˌkeɪt/ (US) · /kˈɒmplɪkˌeɪt/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/complicate
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

to make something more difficult to do, understand, or deal with. You use this when a situation becomes less simple because of new problems.

For teachers: to make something more intricate, involved, or difficult to resolve. Often describes the introduction of new factors that hinder a process or diagnosis.

## Examples

- Adding more rules will only complicate the game.
- The patient's existing heart condition may complicate the upcoming surgery and require a longer recovery period.
- The legal team warned that introducing a second witness at this late stage would likely complicate the trial and delay the final verdict by several months.

## Pitfalls

- Not "This will complicate to the situation" but "This will complicate the situation" — Complicate is a transitive verb and does not take the preposition 'to' before its object.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it is often used in the passive voice to describe a situation ('it is complicated').

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.