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# complicated

«complicated» in Mova's school dictionary: **having many parts or steps, so it is hard to understand…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (complicated; more complicated, most complicated); verb past form of complicate

### meaning for a pupil

1) Complicated means having many parts or steps, so it is hard to understand or do. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#m1)

2) Complicated describes a situation with many problems or feelings mixed up. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In maths a complicated problem has many steps; break it into small steps. In stories it shows confusing feelings or situations. Phrases: «it's complicated», «a complicated question», «too complicated».

### examples

- This puzzle is too complicated for me. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#x1)
- The recipe looks complicated, but it isn't. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#x2)
- Break a complicated problem into smaller steps. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#x3)
- The rules of the game are complicated. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#x4)
- «It's complicated,» she said about her family. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#x5)
- A watch has complicated parts inside. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#x6)
- Kay made all sorts of figures, the most complicated, for it was an ice-puzzle for the understanding. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/#x7)

### note

Opposite: simple, easy. Similar: complex, difficult, tricky. Spelling: com-pli-cat-ed.

### In the corpora

- [A headline word like «Megxit» or «snub» makes a complicated choice sound simple and nasty.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/44-the-royal-family-in-the-news-a-wedding-a-move-to-america-an-interview-and-a-book/23/)
- [Families are complicated, and people use soft words so they do not have to explain quarrels, divorces or who lives with whom.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/13-relations-and-family/0/)
- ["It's complicated" means a relationship is messy or uncertain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/13-relations-and-family/18/)
- [New partners can be lovely, and that can feel complicated.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/517-the-parent-who-left-and-a-new-partner/15/)
- [Formal writing means clear and polite, not complicated; full words, a greeting and "thank you" are usually enough.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/language/16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher/10/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «complicated» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/complicated/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.