obscure

Compared meaning: hard to understand (adjective).

比较义项：难以理解，晦涩难懂（形容词）。

• dark

  Literary and old-fashioned; used for sayings, hints, or meanings that are deliberately veiled or mysterious, in a poetic or archaic register.

  该词具有文学色彩，略显古旧；用于说法、暗示或含义被有意隐藏、显得神秘的场合，语气偏诗意或古雅。

  The elder's words were dark and full of riddles that took years to understand.

  长者的话语很 dark，充满谜语，让人要花好几年才能明白。

• obscure 本词

  Neutral, common register; emphasizes that something is unclear or not well explained, often due to lack of detail or fame, rather than deliberate difficulty.

  语气中性，日常常用；强调某事含糊不清或说明不充分，通常是因为细节不足或不为人知，而不是故意造成的理解困难。

  His explanation of the tax rule was so obscure that nobody in the room understood it.

  他对税务规定的解释太 obscure 了，房间里没有人听懂。

• opaque

  Often used critically about language, writing, policies, or systems that seem deliberately unclear or hard to see through, sometimes implying hidden intent.

  常用于批评性语境，指语言、文字、政策或制度显得故意含糊不清、难以看透，有时暗示背后另有隐情。

  The company's pricing policy is so opaque that customers never know what they are paying for.

  这家公司的定价政策太 opaque 了，顾客根本不知道自己在为什么付钱。

• incomprehensible

  Strongest of the four; means totally impossible to understand, often used for speech, writing, or explanations that make absolutely no sense.

  语气最强，表示完全无法理解，常用于让人完全摸不着头脑的言语、文字或解释。

  His handwriting was so messy that it looked completely incomprehensible to his teacher.

  他的字迹太乱了，在老师看来完全 incomprehensible。

Dark, obscure, opaque, and incomprehensible all mean hard to understand. Dark is literary, for deliberately mysterious meanings. Obscure is neutral, unclear or poorly explained. Opaque describes deliberately unclear language or systems. Incomprehensible is strongest, impossible to understand. Their other, literal senses are not compared here.

这四个词都可以表示“难以理解”，但语气和用法不同：dark 偏文学化、语气古雅，常指含义故意隐晦或神秘；obscure 语气中性，强调含糊不清或说明不充分；opaque 常用于批评语言、政策或制度显得故意让人看不透；incomprehensible 语气最强，指完全无法理解。这里不比较 dark 的“黑暗的”本义，也不比较 obscure 的“不出名的、偏远的”义项，以及 opaque 的“不透明的”本义。

Compared meaning: hard to understand (adjective).

比较义项：难以理解、令人费解（形容词）。

• obscure 本词

  Emphasizes that something is unclear because it involves specialized, indirect, or little-known information; often used for references, terms, or causes rather than people.

  强调某事物因涉及专业、间接或鲜为人知的信息而难以理解，常用于指典故、术语或原因，而不是人。

  The footnote cited such an obscure legal precedent that even the judge looked it up.

  这条脚注引用的法律判例太生僻了，就连法官都得去查一查。

• opaque

  Describes language, systems, or processes that resist understanding as if blocking a clear view; common with bureaucratic or technical contexts, often implying a lack of transparency.

  形容语言、制度或流程让人看不透、难以理解，常用于官僚或技术语境，暗示缺乏透明度。

  The company's pricing policy was so opaque that customers never knew what they'd pay.

  这家公司的定价政策太不透明了，顾客永远不知道自己要付多少钱。

• incomprehensible

  The strongest term: something is impossible to understand at all, not merely difficult; used for speech, writing, or explanations that make no sense to the listener.

  语气最强，表示完全无法理解，而不仅仅是困难；常用于说话、书写或解释让听者完全摸不着头脑的情况。

  His slurred explanation of the accident was completely incomprehensible to the police officer.

  他含糊不清地讲述事故经过，警察完全听不懂。

• enigmatic

  Focuses on mystery and intrigue rather than pure difficulty; typically describes people, expressions, or remarks that puzzle and fascinate, inviting curiosity.

  侧重神秘费解而非单纯的理解困难，通常形容让人捉摸不透、引发好奇的人、表情或言语。

  She gave an enigmatic reply that left her friends guessing for days.

  她给出了一个意味深长的回答，让朋友们猜测了好几天。

All four mean hard to understand. Obscure means unclear due to specialized or little-known information, often about facts. Opaque describes language or systems that block understanding, as in bureaucracy. Incomprehensible is strongest: impossible to understand. Enigmatic means mysterious and puzzling, about people or expressions.

这四个词都表示“难以理解”，但语气和适用对象不同：obscure强调因涉及生僻或间接的知识而不易理解，多用于典故、术语或原因；opaque强调像被遮蔽一样让人看不透，常用于制度、语言等语境；incomprehensible语气最强，指完全无法理解；enigmatic则强调神秘费解、引人好奇，多用于人物、表情或言语。这里不比较obscure“鲜为人知的”这一义项，也不比较opaque“不透明（指物体不透光）”的字面义项。

Compared meaning: to make something unclear (verb).

比较义项：使某事物变得模糊不清（动词）。

• cloud

  Cloud is used mainly in the figurative sense, describing emotions, bias or worry that make someone's mind, judgment or memory less clear; it rarely describes literal fog or water droplets.

  cloud主要用于比喻义，形容情绪、偏见或忧虑使人的头脑、判断力或记忆变得不清晰；很少用来描述真实的雾气或水珠。

  Personal bias can cloud a scientist's judgment when analyzing controversial data.

  个人偏见可能会使科学家在分析有争议的数据时判断变得不清晰。

• fog

  Fog usually describes glass, mirrors or windows becoming covered with a hazy layer of condensation, often used with 'up'; it can also describe the mind feeling slow or unclear, but less formally than cloud.

  fog通常形容玻璃、镜子或车窗蒙上一层朦胧的水汽，常构成“fog up”的用法；也可以形容头脑变得迟钝不清醒，但正式程度不如cloud。

  His breath fogged up the cold window as he pressed his face against it.

  他把脸贴在车窗上时，呼出的气使冰冷的玻璃蒙上了一层雾气。

• obscure 本词

  Obscure is more formal and stronger, meaning to block something from view or understanding almost completely, whether physically (a building blocking a view) or through complexity (jargon hiding meaning).

  obscure语气更正式、程度更强，指几乎完全挡住视线或理解，无论是物理上遮挡视野（如建筑物挡住风景），还是因复杂难懂而掩盖含义。

  The tall building obscures the view of the harbor from our balcony.

  那栋高楼挡住了我们从阳台看向港口的视线。

• mist

  Mist describes a light, delicate layer of fine moisture forming over eyes or glass, often from tears, breath or steam; it suggests a gentler, less complete blurring than the other words.

  mist形容眼睛或玻璃上蒙上一层轻薄细腻的水汽，常因泪水、呼吸或蒸汽而起；比其他几个词所表达的模糊程度更轻、更不完全。

  Tears misted her eyes as she read the old letter again.

  当她再次读那封旧信时，泪水使她的双眼蒙上了一层雾气。

All four mean to make something unclear. Cloud is figurative, for emotions or judgment. Fog describes glass or mirrors covered in condensation. Mist is a light, delicate layer of moisture. Obscure is most formal, blocking completely. Not compared: noun senses (weather), or obscure as 'little-known'.

这几个词在“使变得模糊不清”这一动词义上意思相近，但正式程度、常用搭配和模糊的程度各不相同：cloud多用于比喻情绪或判断，fog多指玻璃、镜子起雾，mist指轻薄细腻的水汽，obscure语气最正式、遮挡或掩盖的程度也最强。这里不比较cloud、fog、mist的名词义（云、雾、薄雾），也不比较obscure作形容词表示“鲜为人知的”这一用法（如例句中的an obscure village）。