Elaborate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Meaning & Definition of Elaborate

Elaborate (adjective)

planned or carried out with great care
marked by complexity, fullness of detail, or ornateness

Elaborate (verb)

to expand something in detail
to become elaborate
to work out in detail, develop

Elaborate (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

made or done with great care or with much detail

"elaborate festivities for the 200th anniversary of the town's founding"

similar: complex, complicated, detailed, fancy, intricate, involved, sophisticated

related: elegant, exquisite, grand, magnificent, ornate, splendid, chichi, extravagant, exuberant, fancified, flamboyant, frilly, gimmicked (up), grandiose, ostentatious, overwrought, showy, souped-up, Byzantine, convoluted, involute, involuted, labyrinthian, labyrinthine

opposite: no-frills, simple, unfancy, unsophisticated

near: modest, plain, plain-Jane, plain-vanilla, uncomplicated, bald, bare, naked, unadorned, undecorated, unvarnished
including many small descriptive features

"the elaborate world known as Middle Earth that J.R.R. Tolkien created in his richly imagined novels"

similar: blow-by-blow, circumstantial, detailed, full, minute, particular, particularized, thorough

related: enumerated, inventoried, itemized, listed, numerated, delineated, specific, specified, abundant, copious, comprehensive, encyclopedic, exhausting, exhaustive, inclusionary, inclusive, in-depth, omnibus, panoramic, thoroughgoing, accurate, correct, exact, precise, complete, entire, replete, distinct, explicit, sharp, mapped (out), descriptive, graphic, picturesque, vivid

opposite: compendious, summary

near: brief, compact, concise, crisp, pithy, short, succinct, terse, abbreviated, abridged, curtailed, cut, pruned, shortened, trimmed, ambiguous, indeterminate, nebulous, nondescript, sketchy, vague, bird's-eye, broad, general, nonspecific, overall, unspecified
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated

"plans for a huge mall that will actually be an elaborate center for sports, entertainment, and shopping"

similar: baroque, byzantine, complex, complicate, complicated, convoluted, daedal, intricate, involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangled

related: overcomplex, overcomplicated, composite, compound, heterogeneous, mixed, multibranched, multifaceted, multifarious, multipart, varied, challenging, difficult, tough, impenetrable, incomprehensible, inexplicable, Kafkaesque, unfathomable, unintelligible

opposite: noncomplex, noncomplicated, plain, simple, uncomplicated

near: oversimplified, simplified, simplistic, homogeneous, uniform, unvaried

Elaborate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

to gradually become clearer or more detailed

"as mankind's understanding of the universe has elaborated"

similar: develop, evolve, unfold

related: advance, fare, forge, get along, get on, march, proceed, progress, blossom, grow, mature, ripen, materialize, emerge, play out

Related Entry: Elaborate (on) (verb)

Elaborate (on) is a different word from Elaborate. The synonyms below are for elaborate (on), not for elaborate.

to add to the interest of by including made-up details

"my friend tends to elaborate on his hiking experiences, turning an ordinary walk in the woods into a hair-raising adventure"

similar: color, embellish, embroider, exaggerate, hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretch

related: dress up, gussy up, amplify, enhance, enlarge (on or upon), expand, flesh (out), fudge, hedge, overdo, overdraw, overemphasize, overplay, overstate, emphasize, play up, stress, caricature, satirize

near: belittle, minimize, play down, understate
to express more fully and in greater detail

"the candidate for governor refused to elaborate on how she would balance the state's budget"

similar: amplify, develop, dilate (on or upon), enlarge (on or upon), expand, flesh (out)

related: add (to), complement, supplement, discourse, expatiate, ramble, run on

opposite: abbreviate, abridge, condense, shorten

near: compress, contract, outline, summarize, sum up

Related Entry: Elaborate (on or upon) (verb)

Elaborate (on or upon) is a different word from Elaborate. The synonyms below are for elaborate (on or upon), not for elaborate.

as in expand, enlarge (on or upon)

similar: amplify, enlarge (on or upon), expand, supplement, elongate, extend, lengthen, prolong, protract

opposite: abstract, boil down, brief, digest, encapsulate, epitomize, outline, recap, recapitulate, reprise, summarize, sum up, synopsize, wrap up, abridge, condense, curtail, cut back, shorten, downsize, shrink

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Elaborate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Elaborate:

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Elaborate

Words with the opposite meaning of Elaborate:

no-frills, simple, unfancy, unsophisticated, compendious, summary, noncomplex, noncomplicated, plain, uncomplicated

Related Words for Elaborate

Near Antonyms of Elaborate

modest, plain-Jane, plain-vanilla, bald, bare, naked, unadorned, undecorated, unvarnished, brief, compact, concise, crisp, pithy, short, succinct, terse, abbreviated, abridged, curtailed, cut, pruned, shortened, trimmed, ambiguous, indeterminate, nebulous, nondescript, sketchy, vague

Word Forms of Elaborate

Inflections: elaborated, elaborating

Derived words: elaborately (adverb), elaborateness (noun), elaboration (noun), elaborative (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Elaborate

Latin elaboratus, from past participle of elaborare to work out, acquire by labor, from e- + laborare to work laboratory

First known use: 1592

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Elaborate

CEFR level: C1 English Vocabulary — Page 10
Topics: Common Actions / Verbs

Frequently Asked Questions about Elaborate

What does "Elaborate" mean?

"Elaborate" means planned or carried out with great care. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: planned or carried out with great care. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Elaborate"?

Other words for "Elaborate" include complex, complicated, detailed, fancy, intricate, involved, sophisticated and blow-by-blow. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Elaborate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Elaborate"?

There are 117 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Elaborate". Common alternatives include complex, complicated, detailed, fancy, intricate, involved, sophisticated, blow-by-blow, circumstantial and full.

What is the opposite of "Elaborate"?

Antonyms of "Elaborate" include no-frills, simple, unfancy, unsophisticated, compendious, summary, noncomplex and noncomplicated. Near antonyms include modest, plain-Jane, plain-vanilla and bald.

How do you use "Elaborate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Elaborate" in a sentence: "elaborate festivities for the 200th anniversary of the town's founding"; "the elaborate world known as Middle Earth that J.R.R. Tolkien created in his richly imagined novels"; "plans for a huge mall that will actually be an elaborate center for sports, entertainment, and shopping".

Is "Elaborate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Elaborate" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Elaborate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Elaborate" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Elaborate"?

"Elaborate" is pronounced /i-ˈla-b(ə-)rət/ as an adjective and /i-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as elab·o·rate.