the preceding year; the previous year; last year
year; age; years; past one's prime; old age
serious; severe; grave; acute
(death from) starvation; starving to death
person; -er; (arch.) expert; (arch.) geisha; (arch.) prostitute
appearing one after another; cropping up one after another; occurring in succession
at a stroke; with a single swoop
tragedy; tragic drama; tragic play; tragedy; calamity; disaster
to invite; to ask; to beckon; to wave someone in; to call in; to send for
quite capable of ...; could happen; not unlikely to
crops; agricultural produce
poor crop; bad harvest; crop failure; low quality (e.g. of literary works)
specialist; expert; professional; authority; pundit
to harden; to freeze; to put together; to collect; to make secure; to stabilize; to fortify
area; zone; (lit.) belt (of land)
possession; retention; maintenance
circulation (money, goods, etc.); distribution; circulation (air, water, etc.); ventilation; negotiable (e.g. shares); distributional
having good knowledge of a certain matter; person who has good knowledge of a certain matter; informed source
merchant; trader; tradesman; dealer; shopkeeper
daughter; girl (i.e. a young, unmarried woman)
director; executive; officer; official; person in charge
president (of a society); chairman
(social) position; status
to descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to alight (e.g. from bus); to get off; to step down; to retire; to be granted
selection; choice; choosing; picking; election
declining; refusal; nonacceptance; turning down; withdrawal (e.g. of candidacy); pulling out (e.g. of a race)
declaration; indication; representation; manifestation; demonstration; expression
candidacy; standing as a candidate; bidding (to host an event, e.g. the Olympics)
anyone; anybody; everyone; everybody; whoever
possible; potential; practicable; feasible
to read the situation; to sense the mood
to defy; to disobey; to rebel against; to oppose; to resist
rival candidate; opposing candidate
slim; slender; lithe; smoothly; without resistance; without trouble
proof; testimony; demonstration; verification; certification
doesn't amount to doing (something); not significant enough to require (something); unnecessary
severe; strict; hard (to do); difficult; intense (e.g. cold); harsh (weather)
to meet; to assemble; to congregate
business; errand; nature of one's business
to knit one's brows (in discomfort, unease, disapproval, etc.); to raise one's eyebrows; to frown; to scowl