intricate

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈɪntrəkət/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate and detailed in structure or design.; Difficult to understand or follow because of complexity; involved and complicated.; Having a great deal of fine detail or delicate workmanship; finely wrought.; Entangled or involved in a complicated manner; tortuous or winding.; Characterized by subtle interconnections or interrelationships among parts.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Comparative: more intricate Superlative: most intricate

Collocations

intricate designintricate detailsintricate patternintricate networkintricate relationshipintricate process

Derivatives

intricacyintricatelyintricateness

Synonyms

complexcomplicatedelaboratedetailedinvolvedbyzantine

Antonyms

simplestraightforwardplain

Commonly confused

intrinsic
EN: 'Intrinsic' means inherent or belonging naturally to something; 'intricate' means very detailed and complicated.
inextricable
EN: 'Inextricable' means impossible to disentangle or separate; 'intricate' means highly complex in structure or detail.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember the ending is '-cate' (not '-gate' or '-kit'). The word comes from Latin 'intricatus' (entangled), so think of the 'tri' in the middle.

💬 Examples

  1. The watch contained an intricate mechanism of tiny gears and springs.

  2. The legal contract was filled with intricate clauses that required a lawyer to interpret.

  3. She admired the intricate lacework on the antique tablecloth.

  4. The hikers lost their way in the intricate network of forest trails.

  5. The ecosystem revealed an intricate balance between predator and prey populations.