lead; leading; leading (in points, goals, etc.); getting ahead; lead (from a base); lead (of an article); lede
safety zone; buffer (e.g. against defeat)
trial calculation; preliminary calculation; estimation
to anticipate; to expect; to place confidence in; to put trust in; to find promising; to see good prospects (in)
(if) by some chance; by some possibility; in the unlikely event that; (unlikely event of) emergency; the worst(-case scenario)
fear; horror; risk; danger; awe; reverence
presumptuous; arrogant; audacious; forward; insolent
rash; reckless; headlong; foolhardy
to endeavor (to do); to endeavour; to try hard; to work hard; to strive; to make an effort
ignominious defeat; crushing failure; utterly beaten; overwhelming defeat
putting on a brave face; put-on cheeriness; pretending one is fine; show of courage; bravado; Dutch courage
victory or defeat; victory and defeat
elasticity; resilience; flexibility; adaptability
luck in lotteries; luck in raffles
to be blessed with; to be rich in; to abound in
favorite (top choice) for the championship (favourite); best bet for the title
pair; couple; antithesis; counter for items that come in pairs; counter for sets (of clothes, small furniture, utensils, etc.)
whole; total; gross; entire; overall; general (election, manager, etc.)
regrettable defeat; defeat by a narrow margin
straight-sets loss; straight-set defeat
defeat; lost battle; losing a war
to say in a round-about way (not to upset); to cushion the blow; to sugarcoat; (lit.) to wrap in wafer paper
roar of laughter (from multiple people); burst of laughter; uproarious laughter; laughing hard (of a single person)
swing; shake; appearance; behaviour; pretence; pretense; (a customer) coming to restaurant, ryokan, etc. without a reservation or introduction
not without its worth; not to be undervalued; not altogether hopeless; nothing to sneeze at; pretty impressive
unexpectedly; surprisingly; unexpected; unanticipated; unforeseen
to press against; to push against; to force against; to foist on (task, responsibility); to impose (one's will)
to hinder; to obstruct; to disrupt; to interfere with; to cause a delay
non-conforming process; noncompliant; incompatible
aim; object; expectations; prospects; something that can be relied upon; snack served with alcoholic drink; pad
dining room; dining hall; cafeteria; restaurant; eatery; snack bar
to come to meet (someone); to come to pick up
early dawn; grey of morning; gray of morning
to make (with great attention to detail); to produce; to craft; to build (something) into
molding; moulding; shaping; forming; modelling (i.e. plastic arts); modeling
email; mail; post; message (in an instant messaging application); instant message; male