Meaning & use
over-complicating
Last updated
“over-complicating” is a form of “over-complicate”.
Meaning
verbtransitive
making something more difficult or detailed than it needs to be.
Grammar: Takes an object: over-complicating the problem. The -ing form can follow be or a verb like keep.
Patterns
- over-complicating something
- keep over-complicating something
- stop over-complicating something
You're over-complicating the recipe; just mix the flour and water.
The team kept over-complicating the schedule instead of following the simple plan.
He has a habit of over-complicating every explanation.
Word forms
| third person singular | over-complicates |
|---|---|
| past tense | over-complicated |
| past participle | over-complicated |
| present participle | over-complicating |
Common combinations
- over-complicating things
- Stop over-complicating things; the answer is simple.
- over-complicating the issue
- The report is over-complicating the issue with too many details.
- without over-complicating
- We solved it without over-complicating the process.
Synonyms and how they differ
- complicating
- Means making something complex, but does not suggest that it is unnecessary.
- overthinking
- Focuses on too much thought rather than on making the thing itself too complex.
Opposites
Word family
- over-complicate verb
- To make something too complex.
- over-complicated adjective
- Made more complex than necessary.
- complicate verb
- To make something more difficult.
Commonly confused: over-complicating or overcomplicating?
over-complicating vs overcomplicating
Some writers spell it as one word, but the hyphenated form over-complicating is more common in edited writing.
Practice
Choose the correct form: 'You are ___ the instructions; just follow the steps.'
Choose one answer.
After the verb be, we need the -ing form: 'are over-complicating'. 'Over-complicate' is the base form and does not fit after 'are'; 'over-complicated' would suggest a finished state, not an action happening now.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “over-complicating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.