Both Uses
elaborate
in
Drown, by Junot Diaz
(Auto-generated)
- I watched him go through the elaborate ritual of lighting up--the flip of the thin cigarrillo into his lips and then the spark, a single practiced snap of the thumb.
Story 4 *elaborate = special (with carefully arranged details)
- We shook hands elaborately.†
Story 4
Definitions:
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(1)
(elaborate as in: elaborate on your plan) add details or explain in detail
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(2)
(elaborate as in: an elaborate design) having details and complexity -- sometimes fancy or ornateDepending upon it's context, this sense of elaborate can additionally imply that details make something either:
- more special than others of its kind in a good way
- more complicated than necessary in a bad way
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(3)
(elaborate as in: an elaborate wink) to exaggerate an actionAt times, this sense of elaborate can further imply that an action was exaggerated by prolonging it (performing it more slowly than normal).
- (4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)