elaborate
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- detailed, intricate, minute, painstaking, precise, studied, thorough
- complicated, complex, fancy, fussy, involved, ornamented, ornate
[verb]
Synonyms:
- expand (upon), add detail, amplify, develop, embellish, enlarge, flesh out

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Antonyms: simple
Contrasted words: common, ordinary, plain, unpolished, inartificial, inornate, natural
Related Words: detailed, highly-wrought, decorated, dressy, embellished, ornate, elegant, busy, overdone, overworked, overwrought, comment, discuss, dwell (upon), clarify, explain, expound, interpret

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English Thesaurus: complicated, complex, elaborate, involved, convoluted, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. e‧lab‧o‧rate¹ /ɪˈlæbərət, ɪˈlæbərɪt/ adjective
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: elaboratus, past participle of elaborare 'to work out']

1. having a lot of small parts or details put together in a complicated way Synonym : intricate:
pure silks embroidered with elaborate patterns

2. carefully planned and organized in great detail Synonym : complex:
a very elaborate telecommunications network
—elaborately adverb:
an elaborately carved wooden statue

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. e‧lab‧o‧rate² /ɪˈlæbəreɪt/ verb
[intransitive and transitive] to give more details or new information about something Synonym : enlarge:
He said he had new evidence, but refused to elaborate any further.
elaborate on
McDonald refused to elaborate on his reasons for resigning.
—elaboration /ɪˌlæbəˈreɪʃən/ noun [uncountable and countable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

elaborate
adj.
VERBS be, look, seem, sound The plans looked very elaborate.
become
ADV. exceptionally, extremely, highly, very highly elaborate carvings
increasingly | fairly, quite, rather

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

elaborate
verb
ADV. further This point will be elaborated further in the next chapter.
at length
VERB + ELABORATE attempt to, try to | refuse to
PREP. on/upon They refused to elaborate on the reasons for their decision.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

complicated consisting of a lot of different parts or details and therefore difficult to understand:
The rules of the game seemed very complicated.
I didn’t realize programming the VCR would be so complicated.
The brain is like a very powerful, very complicated computer.
a complicated issue
complex a complex process, relationship etc is difficult to understand because it has a lot of parts that are all connected in different ways:
The chemical processes involved are extremely complex.
the complex relationship between government and the media
elaborate having a lot of parts or details and very carefully planned, but often more complicated than is necessary:
Mike had worked out an elaborate system for categorizing his collection of DVDs.
The plan to kidnap her had become even more elaborate.
Sociologists have been coming up with increasingly elaborate theories to explain unsafe sexual practices.
involved very long and complicated – use this especially about something that you think should be made simpler:
The system for choosing candidates is very involved, and I won’t go into it here.
Adopting a child can be a long involved process.
convoluted too complicated and difficult to understand – used especially about someone’s language or arguments, or about a system:
convoluted sentences
Procedures for government funding have become more convoluted.
James’s books are full of long paragraphs and convoluted sentences, which many people do not find appealing.
intricate having a lot of small parts or details – used especially about something that is cleverly designed or made:
Lasers are used to cut intricate designs in the metal.
The farmers use an intricate system of drainage canals.
the intricate workings of a watch
intricate patterns of coloured marble
a leisure complex (=where you can play sports or relax)
The new leisure complex includes a swimming pool, a sauna and a gym.
a shopping complex
Some old buildings were pulled down to make space for a new shopping complex.
a sports complex
The sports complex also has six tennis courts.
an entertainment complex (=with cinemas, restaurants and other places to go)
There are plans for an entertainment complex with cinemas and a bowling alley.
a holiday complex (=one where people go for holidays)
The lively holiday complex has plenty of nightclubs, bars, and restaurants.
a housing/residential complex (=for people to live in)
Architects designed the residential complexes near the beach.
a retail/commercial complex (=for shops, businesses, or industries)
a ten-screen movie theater and retail complex
an office/museum/hospital etc complex
a 120-acre office complex near Las Vegas
an apartment complex American English
a luxury apartment complex on Fulton Street
building a structure such as a house, church, or factory, that has a roof and walls:
The college needs money to pay for new buildings.
property formal a building or piece of land, or both together - used especially when talking about buying and selling buildings or land:
The next property they looked at was too small.
The company received permission to build six residential properties on the land.
premises formal the buildings and land that a shop, restaurant, company etc uses:
You are not allowed to drink alcohol on the premises.
The bread is baked on the premises.
development a group of new buildings that have all been planned and built together on the same piece of land:
a new housing development
a huge industrial development
block especially British English a large tall building that contains apartments or offices, or is part of a school, university, or hospital:
an office block
a block of flats
a tower block (=a very tall building - often used disapprovingly)
My next lecture is in the science block.
facility especially American English a place or building used for a particular activity or industry:
a research facility on campus
edifice formal a large building, especially one that is tall and impressive - a very formal use:
Their head office was an imposing edifice.
structure formal something that has been made to stand upright - used especially when talking about buildings:
The stone arch is one of the town’s oldest existing structures.
an immense barn-like structure
Mogul calls this building, designed by Donald and John Parkinson in 1928, ‘the most important structure in Los Angeles of the 20th century.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲