Elaborate
What it means
Made with many carefully developed details or interrelated parts.
Reach for it when praising intricacy when the detail adds craft or meaning
An elaborate mosaic maps the river from its springs to the harbor.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional |
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| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when decoration or complexity can be named casually
Careful Fancy can sound dismissive and may question whether the detail is useful.
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everyday
Fits when completeness of information is the main virtue
Careful Detailed work may be plain and linear rather than intricately designed.
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warm
Fits when the maker's careful attention matters more than complexity
Careful Meticulous describes care in execution, while elaborate describes the result's structure.
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professional
Fits when advanced design or reasoning deserves praise
Careful Sophistication concerns refinement, not necessarily visible detail.
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formal
intricate
Fits when small connected parts create complexity
Careful Intricate can signal difficulty without the scale or decorative richness of elaborate.
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literary
Fits when abundant decoration defines the appearance
Careful Ornate often implies excess and is wrong for complex but functional planning.
Opposites 4
- simple
- plain
- basic
- spare
Common phrases 3
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elaborate design
The elaborate design hides a rainwater system beneath the courtyard.
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elaborate detail
One elaborate detail records every species found during the survey.
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elaborate ceremony
The elaborate ceremony gave each graduating apprentice a public role.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated