Imply vs Complicate - What's the difference?
imply | complicate | Related terms |
(of a proposition) to have as a necessary consequence
(of a person) to suggest by logical inference
(of a person or proposition) to hint; to insinuate; to suggest tacitly and avoid a direct statement
(archaic) to enfold, entangle.
* 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , I.iv:
To fold or twist together; to combine intricately; to make complex; to combine or associate so as to make intricate or difficult.
to expose involvement in a convoluted matter.
(obsolete) Intertwined.
Complex, complicated.
* 1745 , Edward Young, Night-Thoughts , I:
Imply is a related term of complicate.
As verbs the difference between imply and complicate
is that imply is (of a proposition) to have as a necessary consequence while complicate is to fold or twist together; to combine intricately; to make complex; to combine or associate so as to make intricate or difficult.As an adjective complicate is
(obsolete) intertwined.imply
English
Verb
(en-verb)- The proposition that "all dogs are mammals" implies that my dog is a mammal
- When I state that your dog is brown, I am not implying that all dogs are brown
- What do you mean "we need to be more careful with hygiene"? Are you implying that I don't wash my hands?
- And in his bosome secretly there lay / An hatefull Snake, the which his taile vptyes / In many folds, and mortall sting implyes .
Usage notes
* This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) . SeeSynonyms
* (to have as a necessary consequence) entail * (to suggest tacitly) allude, hint, insinuate, suggestSee also
* connotation * entailExternal links
* *complicate
English
Verb
(complicat)- Don't complicate yourself in issues that are beyond the scope of your education.
- John has been complicated in the affair by new tapes that surfaced.
- The DA has made every effort to complicate me in the scandal.
Synonyms
* (expose involvement in a convoluted matter) intricate, entangle, embroil, mix up (in something), mireSee also
* complexAdjective
(en adjective)- How poor, how rich, how abject, how august, / How complicate , how wonderful, is Man!