refusal; rejection; denial; veto
beginning; start; outset; at first; at the beginning; initially
reserve; reticence; unfriendliness; estrangement
gradually; steadily; slowly; little by little; step by step; by degrees
to come untied; to come apart; to be softened; to be relaxed
chance; start; cue; excuse; motive; impetus
conversation; conference (usu. between important people); discussion; interview
cannot be helped; unavoidable; pointless; useless; hopeless (person); annoying
after all is said and done; no matter what people say; in the end; definitely; undeniably
age difference; disparity in age; age gap
to pass through; to pass by; to pass (of time); to elapse; to have expired; to have ended; to exceed
happy; glad; pleased; joyful; delightful; gratifying
it's no big deal; it's no problem; it's nothing to worry about; safe (and sound); all right
opening; gap; dried and opened fish
sympathy; empathy; response
to age; to grow old (esp. in appearance); to show marks of age
which way; which direction; which one (esp. of two alternatives); who
to touch; to come in contact with; to receive (e.g. visitor); to attend to; to receive (news); to get; to encounter
pain; anguish; distress; suffering; hardship
life-size; life-sized; true-to-life; faithful (depiction); realistic
question (e.g. on a test); problem; problem (e.g. societal, political); question; question (i.e. doubt); public discussion
serious; severe; grave; acute
(not) ever; (not) by any means; (not) in the least; (not) in any way; (not) at all
happiness; well-being; joy; welfare; blessedness
any more; any further; any better; any longer
unhappiness; sorrow; misfortune; death (usu. of a relative); bereavement
to carry on one's back; to be burdened with; to take responsibility for; to have (something) in the background; to be in front (of something); to be conceited
self-willed; (doing or saying things) to suit one's own convenience
reality; actuality; hard fact
to persevere; to persist; to insist that; to stick to (one's opinion); to remain in a place; to stick to one's post
just because; even if; even though
to reward; to recompense; to repay; to retaliate; to get revenge
to restrict; to limit; to be restricted to; to be limited to; to be best (for); to be the best plan
the first and second; a few
(death from) starvation; starving to death
event; affair; incident; case; plot; trouble
exactly; surely; right then; just then; just (about to); on the verge (of doing or happening)
intellectual disability; mental disability
to support; to prop; to sustain; to hold at bay; to stem; to check
though; notwithstanding; although
eager; earnest; strenuous; fervent; assiduous; with utmost effort
to live; to exist; to make a living; to subsist; to be in effect; to be in use
older sister; elder sister