Standard Lemma guide

elaborate

adj · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪˈlæb.(ə.)ɹət/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ɪˈlæb.ə.ɹeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ɪˈlæb.ə.ɹæɪt/
  • New-Zealand: /əˈlæb.ə.ɹæɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 L AE1 B R AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: IH0 L AE1 B ER0 EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Complex, detailed, or sophisticated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • After reading a long, elaborate description, I was impressed but no wiser.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fussy

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Intricate, fancy, flashy, or showy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I stared for hours at the elaborate pattern in the rug.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: busy

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

Тo develop in detail or complexity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: work out

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To expand/enlarge in detail.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, sometimes

Examples

  • What do you mean you didn't come home last night? Would you care to elaborate?
  • Could you elaborate on the plot for your novel for me?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

developed or executed with care and in minute detail- John Buchan

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a detailed plan
  • the elaborate register of the inhabitants prevented tax evasion
  • the carefully elaborated theme

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: detailed, elaborated

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

marked by complexity and richness of detail

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an elaborate lace pattern

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: luxuriant

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

work out in detail

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • elaborate a plan

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: work out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: develop, make grow

8

verb

Meaning 8

make more complex, intricate, or richer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • refine a design or pattern

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complicate, refine, rarify

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: involve, develop, sophisticate

9

verb

Meaning 9

add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lucubrate, expatiate, exposit, enlarge, flesh out, expand, expound, dilate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clarify, clear up, elucidate

Narrower terms: detail, set forth, expound, exposit, exemplify, illustrate, instance, specify, particularize, particularise, specialize, specialise

10

verb

Meaning 10

produce from basic elements or sources; change into a more developed product

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The bee elaborates honey

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: produce, make, create

History

Etymology

1575, from Late Latin ēlabōrātus (“worked out”), past participle of ēlabōrō (“to work out”), from ē- (“out, forth, fully”) + labor (“work, toil, exertion”). More at e-, labour.

Across languages

Translations

91 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُفَصَّل (mufaṣṣal) — detailed
  • Bulgarian: сложен (složen) — detailed
  • Bulgarian: подробен (podroben) — detailed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 详尽 (xiángjìn) — detailed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 复杂 (fùzá) — detailed
  • Danish: detaljeret — detailed
  • Dutch: gedetailleerd — detailed
  • Dutch: diepgaand — detailed
  • Estonian: üksikasjalik — detailed
  • Estonian: detailne — detailed
  • Finnish: yksityiskohtainen — detailed
  • Finnish: perusteellinen — detailed
  • Galician: detallado — detailed
  • German: ausführlich — detailed
  • German: durchdacht — detailed
  • Hindi: विस्तृत (vistŕt) — detailed
  • Hungarian: mélyreható — detailed
  • Hungarian: alaposan kidolgozott — detailed
  • Icelandic: ítarlegur — detailed
  • Italian: elaborato — detailed
  • Italian: dettagliato — detailed
  • Manx: yl-chast — detailed
  • Polish: drobiazgowy — detailed
  • Portuguese: detalhado — detailed
  • Russian: доскона́льный (doskonálʹnyj) — detailed
  • Russian: тща́тельно сде́ланный (tščátelʹno sdélannyj) — detailed
  • Russian: скрупулёзный (skrupuljóznyj) — detailed
  • Russian: проду́манный (prodúmannyj) — detailed
  • Russian: подро́бный (podróbnyj) — detailed
  • Spanish: elaborado — detailed
  • Swedish: detaljerad — detailed
  • Turkish: ayrıntılı — detailed
  • Turkish: teferruatlı — detailed
  • Turkish: tafsilatlı — detailed
  • Turkish: detaylı — detailed
  • Turkish: mufassal — detailed
  • Bulgarian: изкусен (izkusen) — flashy or fancy
  • Dutch: intrigerend — flashy or fancy
  • Estonian: rikkalik — flashy or fancy
  • Finnish: huoliteltu — flashy or fancy
  • Finnish: taidokas — flashy or fancy
  • Italian: intricato — flashy or fancy
  • Portuguese: elaborado — flashy or fancy
  • Russian: замыслова́тый (zamyslovátyj) — flashy or fancy
  • Russian: иску́сный (iskúsnyj) — flashy or fancy
  • Czech: rozpracovat — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • French: élaborer — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • German: ausarbeiten — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • Hungarian: kidolgoz — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • Italian: elaborare — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • Russian: разраба́тывать (razrabátyvatʹ) — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • Russian: разрабо́тать (razrabótatʹ) — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • Ukrainian: розробля́ти (rozrobljáty) — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • Ukrainian: розроби́ти (rozrobýty) — to develop in detail or complexity — see also work out
  • Armenian: մանրամասնել (manramasnel) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Bulgarian: изпипвам (izpipvam) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Bulgarian: доразвивам (dorazvivam) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Catalan: aprofundir — to give further detail or explanation
  • Czech: rozvést — to give further detail or explanation
  • Czech: rozpracovat — to give further detail or explanation
  • Dutch: uitweiden — to give further detail or explanation
  • Estonian: välja töötama — to give further detail or explanation
  • Estonian: viimistlema — to give further detail or explanation
  • Finnish: täsmentää — to give further detail or explanation
  • Finnish: kehitellä — to give further detail or explanation
  • Finnish: käsitellä yksityiskohtaisemmin — to give further detail or explanation
  • Finnish: selittää tarkemmin — to give further detail or explanation
  • French: approfondir — to give further detail or explanation
  • German: ausführen — to give further detail or explanation
  • Greek: εμβαθύνω (emvathýno) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Hindi: विस्तृत (vistŕt) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Hungarian: kifejt — to give further detail or explanation
  • Italian: approfondire — to give further detail or explanation
  • Italian: dettagliare — to give further detail or explanation
  • Kazakh: дамыту (damytu) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Kazakh: тәптіштеу (täptışteu) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Persian: شرح دادن — to give further detail or explanation
  • Polish: rozwinąć — to give further detail or explanation
  • Portuguese: argumentar — to give further detail or explanation
  • Russian: разраба́тывать (razrabátyvatʹ) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Russian: развива́ть (razvivátʹ) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Russian: конкретизи́ровать (konkretizírovatʹ) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Russian: вдава́ться в подро́бности (vdavátʹsja v podróbnosti) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Russian: уточня́ть (utočnjátʹ) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Spanish: profundizar — to give further detail or explanation
  • Spanish: ahondar — to give further detail or explanation
  • Spanish: argumentar — to give further detail or explanation
  • Swedish: elaborera — to give further detail or explanation
  • Swedish: utveckla — to give further detail or explanation
  • Thai: ขยาย (kà-yǎai) — to give further detail or explanation
  • Thai: ขยายความ — to give further detail or explanation
Real reading context

elaborate in complete knowledge articles