Complicated
Complicated adjective - Having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated.
Underlying is an antonym for complicated.
Underlying
Underlying adjective - Of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject.
Usage example: the underlying differences between democracy and dictatorship
Complicated is an antonym for underlying.
Both words in one sentence
- It's suggested that this may be the underlying idea behind the conflict in the first place, so that neither side ever wins permanently, but God's plan is so ineffable note "very complicated solitaire." that none of the lesser angels or demons know this for certain.
Source: Balance Between Good and Evil - To non-American legal nerds: RICO is a very complicated statute originally intended to bring down The Mafia but which now can be used for almost anything, as long as you have an underlying tort or crime and a group of people somehow connected to the commission of the tort or crime.
Source: Frivolous Lawsuit -
Rowling neatly sidesteps a lot of the exposition by having Harry be a somewhat indifferent student; apparently there are tons of rules and underlying theories, but every time a professor starts drawing complicated charts on the blackboard, Harry zones out.
Source: Magic A Is Magic A
Cite this Source
Underlying and Complicated. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/complicated/underlying
Complicated & Underlying. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/complicated/underlying>.
Underlying or Complicated. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/complicated/underlying.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "complicated" and "underlying" have occurred on timeline