Describing Complexity: English Vocabulary List

having many complex parts or aspects

"The story is multi-layered."

"The multi layered political thriller kept the audience engaged with its complex plot and unexpected character developments throughout the film."

causing problems, difficulties, or annoyance

"The cough is troublesome."

"The troublesome child was always getting into fights at school and the principal had to call his parents almost every single week."

causing confusion or bewilderment due to being difficult to understand or explain

"The question is baffling."

"The baffling disappearance of the missing hiker remained unsolved for years until a hunter found his old camp deep in the forest."

causing confusion or making something difficult to explain or understand

"Her disappearance is mystifying."

"The mystifying magic trick left the audience wondering how the magician had made the elephant disappear from the stage in front of their eyes."

causing confusion or lack of understanding

"The instructions are bewildering."

"The bewildering array of options on the menu made it hard for her to choose what to order for her dinner."

done with little or no difficulty

"Her dance seemed effortless."

"The effortless grace of the professional dancer made the difficult routine look easy even though she had practiced it for thousands of hours."

not needing a lot of time, energy, or attention

"The job is undemanding."

"The undemanding job did not pay very much but it allowed her to relax and spend more time with her family at home."

easy and not causing any issues or difficulties

"The process is unproblematic."

"The unproblematic transition to the new software surprised everyone because they had expected technical issues and delays during the upgrade process."

(of a machine, piece of equipment, etc.) easy to use or understand by ordinary people

"The app is user-friendly."

"The user friendly interface of the new app made it easy for elderly people to learn how to use their smartphones without frustration."

straightforward, simple, and easily understood without any confusion or complexity

"The rules are clear-cut."

"The clear cut rules of the game made it easy for new players to understand how to play without needing a long explanation."

not causing trouble or difficulties and being easy to deal with

"The journey was untroublesome."

"The untroublesome journey to the airport took only twenty minutes because there was no traffic on the highway at that time."

requiring little effort or engagement

"The task is unchallenging."

"The unchallenging puzzle was too easy for the experienced players so they finished it in just a few minutes without any effort."

easy to endure or accomplish

"The injection was painless."

"The painless injection surprised the child who had been crying and screaming before the nurse gave him the shot in his arm."

simple and straightforward, without unnecessary complications

"She is an unfussy eater."

"The unfussy eater would try any food that was placed in front of him without complaining or asking for something else to eat."

clear and with no room left for confusion or doubt

"The message is unambiguous."

"The unambiguous answer left no room for doubt or confusion and everyone understood exactly what they needed to do next."

extremely easy or simple to do

"The test was easy-peasy."

"The easy peasy quiz was so simple that even the youngest student in the class answered every single question correctly without any help."

(of a person) avoiding participation or engagement in a situation or activity

"He remained uninvolved."

"The uninvolved father missed all of his son's soccer games and school plays because he was always traveling for work."