gradually; by degrees; little by little; step by step
expresses a firm view or feeling; please ...; would you ...
for dear life; barely escaping alive
to grant (request, wish); to answer (prayer); to make come true (e.g. a dream); to realize; to fulfill
or rather (say); or better (say); or perhaps I should say; or, how should I put it,...; I mean
to instigate; to incite; to spur on; to set (e.g. a dog after someone)
(Oh) dear!; (Oh) dear me!; Good gracious
fortitude; firmness of character; sturdiness; inner strength; hardihood
quantity; amount; volume; number; amount of money
whole year; all year round; always; all the time; during an era; second-year kindergarten student
weak; feeble; delicate; frail; helpless
to some extent; to a certain extent
evaluation criteria; evaluation standard
cane; walking stick; staff; wand
mundane; routine; everyday; unremarkable; common; day-to-day
self-assessment; self-evaluation; self-rating; self-esteem
bluff; false show of power; bold front
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 smash; to break (into pieces); to shatter; to simplify; to make easy to understand
no wonder; little wonder; after all; as expected; which isn't surprising
completely; thoroughly; decisively; unsparingly; beyond recognition; until there's no untouched (undamaged) part
to knock down; to beat up (till unable to stand)
belief; faith; conviction
to swing; to sway; to shake; to waver; to feel shaken; to become unstable
loser; failure; underdog; unmarried and childless older woman
growing impudent; becoming arrogant; getting stuck-up; becoming more severe; increasing
as usual; as always; as ever; as before; still
to open one's mouth (to talk); to (start to) tell
type; kind; type (of person); (ideal) type; typewriter; typing (on a typewriter)
lip service; mere words; professions; lips; mouth; snout
fluently (speaking a foreign language); incessantly (speaking); glibly; one after the other (flipping through pages); thin (paper, cloth, etc.); flimsy
febrile seizure; febrile convulsions
head; brains; intelligence
stage; step; level; rank; order; stairs
learning; scholarship; study; study of ...; -ology; -ics
to bewitch; to confuse; to enchant; to delude
taking command of a corps in a battle; command exercised by the leader of a group
to order; to command; to appoint
young person; servant; errand boy in a samurai family; person of lowly status