intricate
/ˈɪn.tɹɪ.kət/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.55 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.
Example Sentences
- "The architecture of this clock is very intricate."
- "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.”"
- "It is next argued that the discretion must be exercised in a reasonable manner and that the question whether a will was in fact executed or not would seldom be an intricate question and was not so in this case."
- "From this point of vantage, we were able to gain an impression of the massive outlines of the main structure, and its intricate maze of girders."
- "The Ways of Heav’n are dark and intricate, Puzzled in Mazes, and perplext with Errors; Our Underſtanding traces ’em in vain, Loſt and bewilder’d in the fruitleſs Search; Nor ſees with how much Art the Windings run, Nor where the regular Confuſion ends."
- "His style of writing […] was […]fit to convey the most intricate business to the understanding […]with the utmost clearness."
Etymology
From Middle English intricat(e) (“entangled, intricate”), from Latin intrīcātus, perfect passive participle of intricō, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: intricat, intrīcātus
Usage
Inflected Forms
more intricate (comparative)
most intricate (superlative)
intricates (present, singular)
intricating (participle, present)
intricated (participle, past)
intricated (past)