complicate

complicate — verb

1. to add extra difficulty or confusion to a situation or task, so that it becomes

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to add extra difficulty or confusion to a situation or task, so that it becomes harder to handle, manage, or understand than it was before.

例句

The sudden rain complicated our plans for the outdoor wedding reception.

collocation: complicate plans

Beatriz's refusal to sign the papers complicated the legal process for the whole family.

collocation: complicate the process

同義詞
  • confuse

    focuses on making something unclear to the mind rather than harder to do

  • entangle

    suggests being caught in a web of difficulties, often involving people

  • muddy

    informal, used especially for making an issue or argument less clear

反義詞
  • simplify

    to make something easier or less complex

文法句型

complicate + noun phrase

用法筆記

Commonly used with nouns such as 'matters', 'things', 'situation', 'process', and 'issue' to describe how something becomes harder to resolve.

常見錯誤

❌This problem is very complicate.
✅This problem is very complicated.
💡'complicate' is a verb; the adjective form is 'complicated'.

2. when a medical condition adds further severity or difficulty to an existing illn

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

when a medical condition adds further severity or difficulty to an existing illness, making it harder to treat or for the patient to recover.

例句

The patient's diabetes was complicated by a serious lung infection that required strong antibiotics.

passive: complicated by [illness or condition]

Dr. Okafor warned that the high fever could complicate the child's recovery from the surgery.

collocation: complicate recovery

同義詞
  • aggravate

    focuses on making symptoms worse without necessarily adding new problems

  • worsen

    general term for making a condition more severe

反義詞

文法句型

complicate + noun phrase (illness / condition / recovery)

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive form (e.g., 'was complicated by') when one condition adds difficulty to an existing one. The subject is usually a disease, infection, or symptom.