tedious; boring; being fed up with
cold (e.g. weather); uninteresting (esp. joke); lame; dull
to bite at; to snap at; to jump at (e.g. an offer); to snap at; to hold on to; to cling to
self-restraint; voluntary restraint; self-imposed control; self-discipline
(looking) blankly; vacantly; dazedly; (staring) in puzzlement; with a look of amazement
at that time; in those days
spicy; hot; salty; harsh (criticism); severe (punishment); painful
severely; harshly; utterly; terribly
poor; pitiful; piteous; pitiable
so much; so often; oh, yes!; that's it; that's right; quite
marking; grading; scoring
to read out; to read aloud; to call out; to finish reading; to read through
reading too much into things
to distort; to strain (interpretation); to force (meaning)
slander; bad-mouthing; abuse; insult; speaking ill (of)
to praise; to commend; to compliment; to speak well of; to speak highly of
insult; affront; slight; contempt (e.g. of court)
equality (esp. of status); equal footing; equal terms
most; highest; maximum; best; wonderful; finest
fully fledged; full-fledged; proper; competent; qualified; full-grown
precise; accurate; appropriate; exactly the right
to float; to be suspended; to rise to the surface; to appear; to come to mind; to have inspiration
puzzling; tangled; complicated; complex
stage; step; level; rank; order; stairs
scene; sight; scenario; setting
to be present (esp. during a birth); to be witness to
outside the country; abroad
means of making contact; intermediary; go-between; connections; influence; pull
persuasiveness; powers of persuasion; cogency
serious; severe; grave; acute
to assume the air of ...; to behave like ...; to put on airs; to be self-important
furthermore; besides; moreover; in addition; further; above or beyond this
contrived; false-sounding
finally; at last; in the end; after all; never (happened)
towards; against; regarding; in contrast with
ominous; sinister; unlucky; inauspicious
preface; introduction; preamble
(not even) an inch; (not even) a little bit; (lit.) one millimeter