condition; state; health; state (of health); way; manner
turning point; critical juncture; knot (in a tree, etc.)
to anticipate; to expect; to place confidence in; to put trust in; to find promising; to see good prospects (in)
rather; better; instead; if anything
reservation; putting on hold; deferment; withholding
to swing; to wield (physically); to exercise (e.g. power, ability); to exhibit; to flourish; to prosper
historical; traditional; historic
breakthrough; great discovery
brilliant achievement; spectacular feat; splendid accomplishment; remarkable deed
actual spot; scene (of a crime, accident, etc.); (on) site; (on) the ground; filming location; (movie) set
influence; effect; impact
no sooner ... than ...; hardly ... when ...; as soon as ...
(going) right into (a tight space); (sinking into) deeply and suddenly; (popping) out; (coming out) with a pop; with a squelch
rising up (of smoke, clouds, etc.); towering; plump; chubby; welling up (of an emotion); boiling up
to that extent; accordingly; that being the case; that state; that condition
forcibly; by force; against one's will
expansion; extension; enlargement; escape; ESC
pleasant feeling; good vibes
to go by; to go past; to run (between; of a rail service, bus route, etc.); to operate (between); to go indoors; to go into a room; to penetrate
to extract; to pull out; to draw out; to headhunt; to lure away; to poach
to be completed; to be finished; to be ready (e.g. to serve or eat); to be very drunk; to get plastered
to let leak; to let out (e.g. light); to let out (a secret); to leak (information); to give utterance to (e.g. one's dissatisfaction); to vent; to wet one's pants
reading; reading (of a kanji, esp. kun reading); reading (e.g. of a situation); insight
to proceed with; to continue with; to move on; to go forward; to pursue
what; how; what (a) ...!; how ...!; surprisingly; to my amazement
followers; subordinates; being under someone's command
(talent) scout; recruiter; scouting; headhunting; Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts
no matter what; whatever happens; under any circumstances; never
these guys; these fellows
artificial feeding (of wild animals); accustoming (a wild animal) to accepting food from humans; hand-feeding; to win someone over (with food); to butter up
an extra effort; going the extra mile; one final push
fixed; obvious; commonplace
taking back what one just said; eating one's words; negating one's previous comment, opinion, etc.
final destination; last stop; end; conclusion; goal
round shape; circle; circular form
to cut off; to excise; to tear off; to cut out; to whittle down; to tear out
to compare (something) to; to liken; to speak figuratively; to use a simile; to use a metaphor
whole cake; cake sold whole (as opposed to in individual slices)
extravagant; lavish; opulent; luxurious; magnificent; splendid
third stage; three stages; third dan (in martial arts, go, shogi, etc.)
pile; heap; counter for things that are stacked, piled up (or layered, etc.); layers of clothing worn under one's overcoat; combination of colors created by layering of garments (colours)
step; stair; shelf; layer; grade; level; dan (degree of advanced proficiency in martial arts, go, shogi, etc.)
upper tier; upper section; place of honor; place of honour; dais; raised part of floor