elaborate

Compared meaning: carefully complex or showy, not plain (adjective).

比较义项：精心细致、复杂考究或华丽而不简单朴素的（形容词）。

• elaborate 本词

  Focuses on thoroughness and complexity of detail or planning, often in explanations, plans, or designs; fairly formal and can sound admiring or slightly critical of over-complication.

  强调细节或计划的周密与复杂，多用于说明、计划、设计等场合；语气较正式，可以表示赞赏，也可能略带“过于繁复”的意味。

  She gave an elaborate explanation of her research project.

  她对自己的研究项目做了详尽的说明。

• fancy

  Focuses on a showy, decorative, or high-class style, especially for clothes, food, or events; informal and everyday, sometimes hinting the thing is overly dressy or pretentious.

  强调华丽、讲究排场或高档的风格，多用于衣着、饮食或场合；用语口语化，有时暗示对象过于讲究或有点装派头。

  She wore a fancy dress to the wedding last night.

  她昨晚穿了一条华丽的裙子去参加婚礼。

Both mean not plain or simple, but the tone differs. Elaborate stresses careful design and complex detail, used for plans, explanations, or patterns; fairly formal, sometimes suggesting over-complication. Fancy stresses a showy, decorative, high-class style, especially for clothes, food, or events; informal, sometimes pretentious.

这两个词在“精心复杂、不简单朴素”这一义项上意思相近，但语气和用法不同：elaborate 强调用心设计、细节繁复，可用于说明、计划、图案等，语气中性偏正式；fancy 强调装饰性强、讲究排场或高档，多用于衣着、餐饮、场合，语气较口语，有时带“过于花哨”的轻微贬义。这里只比较这一层意思，不涉及两词的其他用法。

Compared meaning: careful, detailed, or thorough in doing something (adjective).

比较义项：做事细致、信息详尽或用心周全的（形容词）。

• careful

  Highlights caution and attentiveness to avoid mistakes, harm, or accidents; describes a person's manner while doing something, not how much information is given. Common with everyday actions like crossing, driving, or handling fragile items.

  强调为避免出错、受伤或事故而保持的谨慎和专注；描述做事时的方式，而不是信息的丰富程度。常与过马路、开车、拿易碎物品等日常动作搭配。

  Nurses must be careful when handling sharp medical instruments.

  护士在拿取锋利的医疗器械时必须小心谨慎。

• detailed

  Highlights the amount of specific, exact information given; describes reports, maps, explanations or descriptions rich in facts, not a person's caution or effort.

  强调所提供信息的具体、精确程度；用来形容内容详实的报告、地图、说明或描述，而不是人的谨慎或努力。

  The map gives detailed directions to every building on campus.

  这张地图给出了通往校园里每一栋楼的详细路线。

• elaborate 本词

  Highlights complexity, scale, and the effort put into planning something; often suggests it is more intricate or grand than strictly necessary, sometimes with a hint of excess.

  强调事物的复杂程度、规模以及为策划它所花的心思；常暗示其比实际需要更繁复、更盛大，有时带有一点“过于铺张”的意味。

  The couple held an elaborate ceremony with hundreds of guests.

  这对夫妇举办了一场有数百位宾客出席的精心筹办的盛大仪式。

• thorough

  Highlights completeness — covering or checking every part so that nothing is missed; common with examinations, investigations, and inspections.

  强调全面彻底——覆盖或检查了每一个部分，没有任何遗漏；常与检查、调查、审查等搭配使用。

  The inspector conducted a thorough review of the entire building.

  检查员对整栋建筑进行了一次全面彻底的审查。

These four words all mean careful or detailed, but focus differently. Careful highlights caution to avoid mistakes or harm. Detailed highlights how much specific information is given. Elaborate highlights complex planning and effort, sometimes more than needed. Thorough highlights completeness, missing nothing.

这四个词都可以表示“很用心、很细致”，但侧重点不同：careful 强调为避免出错或受伤而小心谨慎；detailed 强调信息量大、内容具体；elaborate 强调精心策划、复杂盛大；thorough 强调面面俱到、毫无遗漏。它们一般不能互换。