| 发挥 | fā huī | to display / to exhibit / to bring out implicit or innate qualities / to express (a thought or moral) / to develop (an idea) / to elaborate (on a theme) |   |
| 阐述 | chǎn shù | to expound (a position) / to elaborate (on a topic) / to treat (a subject) | |
| 敷衍 | fū yǎn | to elaborate (on a theme) / to expound (the classics) / perfunctory / to skimp / to botch / to do sth half-heartedly or just for show / barely enough to get by | |
| 精巧 | jīng qiǎo | elaborate | |
| 细化 | xì huà | to give a more granular level of detail / to elaborate / to refine / to become more differentiated | |
| 铺陈 | pū chén | to arrange / to spread out / to narrate in detail / to describe at great length / to elaborate | |
| 敷演 | fū yǎn | variant of 敷衍 / to elaborate (on a theme) / to expound (the meaning of the classics) | |
| 分述 | fēn shù | to elaborate / detailed explanation | |
| 雕琢 | diāo zhuó | to sculpt / to carve (jade) / ornate artwork / overly elaborate prose | |
| 繁文缛节 | fán wén rù jié | convoluted and overelaborate (document) / unnecessarily elaborate writing / mumbo-jumbo | |
| 繁缛 | fán rù | many and elaborate | |
| 勾心斗角 | gōu xīn dòu jiǎo | to fight and scheme against each other (idiom) / (in palace construction) elaborate and refined | |
| 牵羊担酒 | qiān yáng dān jiǔ | pulling a lamb and bringing wine on a carrying pole (idiom) / fig. to offer elaborate congratulations / to kill the fatted calf | |
| 繁征博引 | fán zhēng bó yǐn | an elaborate string of references / many quotations | |
| 项庄舞剑 | Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn | lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom, refers to plot to kill Liu Bang during the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] in 206 BC) / fig. an elaborate deception hiding malicious intent | |
| 不题 | bù tí | we will not elaborate on that (used as pluralis auctoris) | |
| 牙机巧制 | yá jī qiǎo zhì | ingenious gear machine / elaborate contraption | |
| 琼筵 | qióng yán | banquet / elaborate feast | |
| 繁文 | fán wén | convoluted / elaborate formalities | |
| 项庄舞剑，意在沛公 | Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn , yì zài Pèi Gōng | lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom) / refers to 206 BC plot to murder Liu Bang, aka Duke of Pei 沛公[Pei4 gong1] and the future Han emperor, during a sword dance at the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] / an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent | |
