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The word "simpler" means "more simple", as in "This new product is simpler than the old product".

But I cannot think of a similar word for "more complex": Suppose I want to say that "This new product is more complex than the old product", except replacing "more complex" with just a single word. "Complexer" is not a word I am familiar with.

I did some Googling, and e.g. none of the words here work. I don't mean fancier, denser, higher, etc. I mean "more complex" as in, "contains more moving parts / harder to understand and use".

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    See "How to form comparative and superlative adjectives" at https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/comparative-superlative-adjectives You will need to find an adjective that means "complex" but falls in one of the categories there to get the "-er" form of the comparative. Note that "simple" is in the last category where it is up to you ... say either "simpler" or "more simple".
    – GEdgar
    Commented Dec 20, 2023 at 2:32
  • A colloquial adjective implying complexity is "tricky". It's trickier.
    – TimR
    Commented Dec 20, 2023 at 13:11
  • This seems an artificial constraint. Why is 'more complex' inadequate? // The lists of synonyms I've looked at don't provide a formal solution. 'Abstruser' isn't too close and sounds dire.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Dec 20, 2023 at 13:41
  • There are many situations where time and space are constrained (either physically or artistically) and a single word is strictly needed. I often find myself in this situation, and ironically, with this particular word in particular. For a general example, consider any sentence that includes both "simpler" and "more complex": It would flow much better and impact the reader more if "more complex" could be condensed to match "simpler" stylistically.
    – tima
    Commented Dec 20, 2023 at 17:38
  • @TimR: This is a nice suggestion, but trickier means something slightly different. I am looking for an exact match (which sadly, might not exist).
    – tima
    Commented Dec 20, 2023 at 17:40

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