elaborate
Full of careful detail, with lots of parts.
elaborate in a sentence
- The wedding cake had an elaborate design, with tiny sugar roses on every single layer.
- The twins drew an elaborate treasure map, with tiny drawings of every rock, stream and tree.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to elaborate?
- Adetailed
- Bplain
- Csimple
- Dbasic
Show the answer
A: detailed. The other three mean the opposite of elaborate.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to elaborate?
- Asimple
- Bfancy
- Ccomplex
- Ddetailed
Show the answer
A: simple. The other three mean nearly the same as elaborate.
Words that mean something similar
detailed, fancy, complex
Words that mean the opposite
simple, plain, basic
More words about appearance & looks
- elegant: Graceful and stylish.
- embellish: To add extra details or decoration to make something fancier.
- erect: Standing up straight.
- exquisite: Extremely beautiful and finely made.
- feeble: Weak and without strength.
- flamboyant: Bold, colourful and eye-catching, in a way that makes people notice you.
- flawless: Perfect, with no mistakes or faults.
- flimsy: Thin, weak and easily broken.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test