to sigh; to breathe a sigh
skill; dexterity; proficiency
to gain experience; to accumulate experiences
question; inquiry; enquiry
conclusive evidence; positive proof; definite proof; confirmation
unique; individual; original; unusual
distinction; difference; separate; different; exception; exclusion
intelligence; intellect; brains
may; might; perhaps; may be; possibly
valid; proper; right; appropriate; reasonable
special; particular; peculiar; unique
to make progress; to develop; to evolve (method, style, etc.)
to lead; to spearhead (a group); to command (troops)
usual; ordinary; normal; regular; general; common
unique; peculiar; singular
since some time ago; for quite a while; already
intuition; instinct; insight; hunch; immediacy
matter; affair; counter for (received) emails, text messages, voicemail messages, etc.; counter for accounts (on a website, email service, etc.)
conviction; belief; confidence
change; variation; variety; diversity; inflection; declension
to make a mistake; to be incorrect; to be mistaken
preface; introduction; preamble
fairy tale; fairy story; nursery tale
dramatization (e.g. of a novel); dramatisation; adaptation; dramatization; embellishment; exaggeration
fiction; made-up story; fable; fabrication; myth
that's the way it is; such is life
ordinary person; member of the general public; non-celebrity
old; aged; long; since long ago; of the distant past; long-ago
the past; bygone days; one's past (that one would prefer remained secret); past (tense); preterit; previous life
capture (of enemy territory); taking (by storm); defeating (an opponent); attacking (a problem) strategically
dramatic (improvement); remarkable (difference); marked; (far) better; exceptional
last (i.e. immediately preceding); previous; pre- (e.g. premodern); before; before; earlier
to feel gloomy; to have doubts (e.g. about the future); to be at a loss (e.g. over what to do)
dark; gloomy; depressed; dispirited; dark (in colour); dull; ill-boding
really; truly; indeed; good grief
hypothesis; supposition; assumption; tentative theory
unthinkable; unexpected; absolutely not!; far from it!; (it was) no bother at all; not at all
to get the short end of the stick; to get the bad end of a bargain
now that you mention it; come to think of it; that reminds me; on that subject; speaking of which
degree of difficulty; difficulty level
fall; decline; lowering; deterioration; degradation