ferocious; brutal; atrocious; savage; barbarous
compensation; amends; redeeming feature
unexpectedly; surprisingly
link (e.g. in a chain of events); part (of a plan, campaign, activities, etc.); monocyclic
distant look; faraway look
destruction; collapse; crumbling
to support; to prop; to sustain; to hold at bay; to stem; to check
cave; tunnel; tunnel tomb (Kofun period)
for now; for the time being; for the present; though not quite satisfactorily; after a fashion
thunderstruck; hit by a thunderbolt; struck by lightning
to restrict; to limit; to be restricted to; to be limited to; to be best (for); to be the best plan
minute; detailed; careful; scrupulous; thorough
to drag; to trail; to force (someone) along; to drag (along); to prolong; to drag out
corpulence; fatness; obesity
just as; right after; in the act of; as soon as; at that moment
to take back; to get back; to regain; to recover; to restore; to recoup
to pass (e.g. car); to overtake; to surpass; to outstrip; to get ahead of
self first; striving to be first; scrambling for
at the very beginning; first of all; first and foremost; before anything else
to hold; to carry; to embrace (in one's arms)
to blow away; to blow off; to dispel; to drive away; to talk big
to be deeply impressed (by); to be moved (by); to admire greatly
to become blunt; to grow dull; to become less capable; to weaken; to falter
quick; prompt; alert; smart; clever; astute
soliloquy; monologue; speaking to oneself
to wait and see; to see how the land lies
small mercy (from some misfortune); silver lining of a dark cloud; consolation in sadness; blessing in disguise
to guide; to lead; to show the way; to derive; to deduce
to fall completely silent; to become still as death
being dotted about; being scattered; being interspersed
to rot away; to crumble to dust; to decay completely; to die in obscurity
country in civil war; country disarrayed by war; Warring States period (Japan, China); competition in which there are several evenly matched participants; hotly contested game (match, market, etc.)
heartlessness; hardness of heart; coldheartedness; insentient; inanimate
to become slightly sweaty; to sweat a little; to become moist with sweat
a few years ago; some years back
to be in difficulties; to be in trouble; to be in a difficult situation
wick; marrow; core; heart; pistil (of a flower); stamen