irony; sarcasm; unexpected; different from what one expected; (only) surface; something superficial
unable to stay (on); unable to endure being somewhere a second longer; feel like running away
to run away; to flee; to avoid (a question, responsibility, etc.); to evade; to win without being overtaken; to hold off the other contenders (until the finish)
to lean against; to recline on; to lean on; to rely on; to depend on
to take a breather; to take a rest; to catch one's breath; to take a breath
there's no (other) way; cannot be helped; unavoidable; it's no use (doing); pointless; hopeless (person)
beginning; opening; start; outset
(written) explanation; explanatory label (e.g. in a museum); information sign (e.g. at a tourist spot); instructions (e.g. for a product)
veteran (in a particular field); person with a lot of experience; old hand
protagonist; main character; hero; head (of a household); proprietor (of a store)
newcomer; new figure; new member; modern humans (from Cro-Magnon man onwards); Homo sapiens
seeing for the first time; first sight; first meeting; sight-reading
minute adjustment; fine-tuning
original (written) work (i.e. a new novel, play, music, etc.); newly written work; specially written work; writing (a new work) specially (for a publication, film, exhibition, etc.)
to add; to add up; to increase; to gather (e.g. speed); to include; to count in
suffix appended to someone else's family members
same period; corresponding period; same year (of graduation, entering a company, etc.); contemporary; synchronization; synchronism
to kill; to slay; to suppress; to block; to suppress (a voice, feelings, etc.); to hold back
anger; rage; fury; wrath; indignation
search (esp. in criminal investigations); investigation; inquiry; enquiry
to drive in (a nail, stake, etc.); to hammer in; to hit (a ball, etc.); to drive; to fire into; to shoot into; to input (data)
hmmm; uh-huh; murmur indicating approval, comprehension, etc.
to covet; to crave; to indulge in; to do ceaselessly; to eat greedily; to devour
strange; odd; peculiar; weird; bizarre; unusual
creator (of a work); author; writer; artist; composer; playwright
very thin; flimsy; cheap; shallow
affinity; feeling of closeness (with someone); feeling of kinship
to read between the lines
skillful; adroit; craft; craftsmanship; plot; scheme
writing; composition; essay; sentence
reader (person); person who reads the cards (in karuta games); composer (of a poem)
great (quantity, amount, etc.); huge; enormous; serious
clearly (understand, see, hear, etc.); distinctly; perfectly; as if it were right in front of one
to be blurred (due to motion; of a photo, video, etc.); to be shaken (of a camera); to waver (in one's beliefs, policy, etc.); to shift (position); to be slightly off
to make good; to improve; to do often; to be kind to; to treat well
to pull into; to draw in; to bring in; to win over
to take (a resource, e.g. time or money); to hang; to come into view; to arrive; to come under (a contract, a tax); to start (engines, motors); to attend
attention; notice; care; caution; advice; warning
intently; single-mindedly; devotedly; solely; earnestly; with all one's heart
to be absorbed in reading; to get lost in reading; to be immersed in (a book)
love scene; bedroom scene; sex scene
somehow dirty; slightly dirty; dingy; somewhat base; vaguely underhanded
vagrant; vagabond; tramp; homeless person; hobo; bum