killing time; staving off boredom
to make merry; to be festive
miserable; pitiable; shameful; deplorable; pathetic
to resound; to echo; to reverberate
brutal (atmosphere, society, etc.); savage; fierce; violent; bloodthirsty; stark
conclusion; resolution; gathering and bundling; convergence; focusing (e.g. light); convergence
objection; refutation; rebuttal; counterargument
silver hair; gray hair; grey hair
real intention; true motive; true will; original intention; original purpose; original hope
great difference; big difference; wide margin
senior high school student
imitation; copy; make-believe; doing something in a way that only superficially resembles the real thing
nothing but; nothing more than; nothing less than
irritation; annoyance; frustration
pecking order; hierarchical relationship; vertical relationship; hyponymy
severe; strict; hard (to do); difficult; intense (e.g. cold); harsh (weather)
second-year student; biennial
academic year; school year; year in school; grade in school
chapter; section; medal; badge; insignia
student in a higher grade; upperclassman
claim; insistence; assertion; advocacy; emphasis; contention
to press against; to push against; to force against; to foist on (task, responsibility); to impose (one's will)
insular; closed; unsociable; exclusive
newcomer; initiate; rookie
to shun; to avoid; to ostracize; to neglect; to distance oneself from; to give the hard shoulder
your Excellency; his Excellency; her Excellency
to glare at each other; to confront each other
neutrality (incl. chemical, electrical, etc.); indifference; sexlessness; androgyny; neuter gender
soft; tender; limp; subdued (colour or light) (color); gentle; meek
still (continuing); as ever; further
to not give in; to be obstinate; to be stubborn; to be perverse
calm; quiet; gentle; moderate; reasonable; amicable
critical (touch and go) situation; explosive situation
to wedge one's way in; to push in (between); to step in (between); to interrupt (a conversation, quarrel, etc.); to intervene
gentle; mild; meek; tender