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Challenging vs Complicated - What's the difference?

challenging | complicated |

As verbs the difference between challenging and complicated

is that challenging is present participle of lang=en while complicated is past tense of complicate.

As adjectives the difference between challenging and complicated

is that challenging is difficult, hard to do while complicated is difficult or convoluted.

As a noun challenging

is the act of making a challenge.

challenging

English

Verb

(head)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Difficult, hard to do.

    • Antonyms

    * unchallenging

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of making a challenge.
  • * Estcourt Rowland Metzner, The conflict of tax laws (page 151)
    • There are always sincere challengings of the findings, always the objections (sincere in another sense) of those whose interests seem threatened.

    See also

    * challenge

    complicated

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Difficult or convoluted.
    • It seems this complicated situation will not blow over soon.
  • *
    • Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. […]  Frills, ruffles, flounces, lace, complicated seams and gores: not only did they sweep the ground and have to be held up in one hand elegantly as you walked along, but they had little capes or coats or feather boas.
  • (Biology) Folded longitudinally (as in the wings of certain insects).

    • Antonyms

    * simple

    Verb

    (head)
  • (complicate)
    • The process of fixing the car engine was complicated by the lack of tools.