barrier

Compared meaning: something that blocks action or progress (noun).

比较义项：阻碍行动或进展的事物、障碍（名词）。

• barrier 本词

  Barrier is the general, more formal word for something—physical or abstract—that blocks progress, often used in fixed phrases like “language barrier” or “barrier to entry.”

  barrier是更正式、更通用的词，指阻碍进展的事物，可以是具体的，也可以是抽象的，常出现在固定搭配中，如“language barrier（语言障碍）”或“barrier to entry（进入壁垒）”。

  The language barrier made it hard for her to make friends abroad.

  语言障碍让她在国外很难交到朋友。

• roadblock

  Roadblock is more informal and concrete: it originally means a barrier set up across a road to stop traffic, and figuratively it names a specific obstacle met during a process, as in “hit a roadblock.”

  roadblock更口语、更具体：本义是设在路上阻挡车辆通行的路障，比喻义则指做事过程中遇到的具体阻碍，常用于“hit a roadblock（遇到阻碍）”这样的搭配。

  Police set up a roadblock to check every car leaving the city.

  警察设置了路障，检查每一辆离开城市的车辆。

Barrier and roadblock both mean something that blocks progress. Barrier is more formal and general, used for physical or abstract obstacles. Roadblock is more informal: it first meant a barrier across a road, and now it names one specific obstacle, as in 'hit a roadblock.'

这两个词在“阻碍进展的事物”这一义项上很接近，容易混淆，但语体和典型用法不同：barrier更正式、更通用，可指具体或抽象的障碍；roadblock更口语化，本义是路上的路障，比喻义常用于“hit a roadblock”这类固定搭配。