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Complicated vs Intricate - What's the difference?

complicated | intricate |

Intricate is a synonym of complicated.



As adjectives the difference between complicated and intricate

is that complicated is difficult or convoluted while intricate is having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.

As verbs the difference between complicated and intricate

is that complicated is past tense of complicate while intricate is to become enmeshed or entangled.

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.

    intricate

    English

    Alternative forms

    * entricate

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) intricatus'' (past participle of ''intricare ).

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.
  • :
  • *(Joseph Addison) (1672–1719)
  • *:His style was fit to convey the most intricate business to the understanding with the utmost clearness.
  • *
  • *:As a matter of fact its narrow ornate façade presented not a single quiet space that the eyes might rest on after a tiring attempt to follow and codify the arabesques, foliations, and intricate vermiculations of what some disrespectfully dubbed as “near-aissance.”

    • Etymology 2

    As the adjective; or by analogy with extricate

    Verb

    (intricat)
  • To become enmeshed or entangled.
  • * 1864 October 18, J.E. Freund, “ How to Avoid the Use of Lint”, letter to the editor, in The New York Times (1864 October 23):
    • washes off easily, without sticking or intricating into the wound.
  • To enmesh or entangle: to cause to intricate.
  • * 1994 December 12, , “ Avoid Dunkirk II” (essay), in The New York Times :
    • But the British and French won't hear of that; they want to get their troops extricated and our ground troops intricated .

    Anagrams

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