to be hard (to do); to be difficult; to require much effort; to be laborious; to be backbreaking; to have trouble (doing)
important; essential; significant; major; key; principal
flexibility; pliability; softness; elasticity
plan; device; idea; design; contrivance; conception
about; roughly; generally; on the whole; completely; quite
pair; couple; antithesis; counter for items that come in pairs; counter for sets (of clothes, small furniture, utensils, etc.)
bone; frame; outline; core; backbone; spirit
nerve; nerves; sensitivity
weapon; arms; ordnance; weapon (something used to gain an advantage); asset
connection; attachment; changing trains; conjunction
etc.; et cetera; and so on
increase and decrease; fluctuation
smallest (in size, degree, etc.); least; minimum; minimal
beforehand; in advance; ahead of time; previously
one-by-one; separately; in detail
series (of something); range (e.g. of mountains)
to name; to call; to christen; to term
most suitable; optimum; optimal; best
combination; assortment; matching (in a contest); pairing; combination
minimum; lowest; minimal; at a minimum
goal; target; aim; mark; sign; landmark
one cup (of); one glass (of); one drink (of alcohol); full; filled (with); fully; to capacity
to talk; to chat; to chatter
group; bunch; crowd; group
to prove successful; to take hold; to amount to something
glue; grue (fictional monster)
toughness (of a material); tenacity; fracture toughness
reduction; decrease; subtraction; (arch.) reduction of penalty (under the ritsuryō codes)
independence; self-reliance; independence (e.g. of a nation); freedom; separation; isolation
dispersion; breakup; variance; dispersion
at that time; at that moment; then; on that occasion
rate; ratio; comparatively; contrary to expectations
actually; really; truly; in practice; practically
pile; heap; counter for things that are stacked, piled up (or layered, etc.); layers of clothing worn under one's overcoat; combination of colors created by layering of garments (colours)
to erase; to rub out; to turn off (a light, TV, heater, etc.); to switch off; to extinguish (a fire, candle, etc.); to put out; to remove (a smell, pain, etc.)
to keep; to preserve; to hold; to last; to endure; to keep well (food)
to think up; to think out; to knit (a pattern into a sweater, etc.); to start knitting
last resort; desperate measure taken under the pressure of necessity
unexpected; surprising; unanticipated; strange; unforeseen
advantage; point in favor; point in favour
becoming clear; coming to light; being ascertained; being identified; being confirmed