Unsimplify

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make a previously reduced or simplified item more complex or detailed by reintroducing its original features or adding new elements; to transform a streamlined version back into a fuller or more complicated form; to reverse the process of simplification and restore complexity
2. To increase the intricacy or complication of something that had been made simpler by adding complexities or details that were removed; to convert a straightforward or minimal form into one that includes more components or nuances; to undo simplification by elaborating or enriching the structure or content
3. To revert a simplified object or concept to a more elaborate or detailed state by reinstating omitted parts or enhancing its complexity; to alter a reduced version to become more comprehensive and involved; to expand what was previously simplified by introducing greater depth or intricacy

Etymology: "Unsimplify" is a straightforward formation: the prefix "un-" joined to the verb "simplify." "Simplify" itself comes from Late Latin "simplificare," built from Latin "simplex" (single, plain) and "-ficare," a suffix meaning "to make." The "un-" prefix, a native English element meaning "reverse" or "undo," turns the verb around, so "unsimplify" means to undo a simplification and restore complexity. Because "un-" attaches freely to many verbs, speakers can create new forms like this on the spot, which is why "unsimplify" reads as a clear and immediately understandable coinage even though it is not a long-established dictionary word.

Synonyms: complicate, complexify

Antonyms: simplify, clarify