monolith; large slab of rock
the present; present time; as of; present tense; this world; this life
leadership; initiative; spearhead
parent; parents; dealer (in cards, mahjong, etc.); banker; founder; inventor; (pet) owner
clique; group; (political) faction; wing; school; sect
to join hands together; to join forces; to collaborate
opposition; rivalry; competition; antagonism
claim; insistence; assertion; advocacy; emphasis; contention
betterment; improvement; kaizen (Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement)
to reject; to repulse; to repel; to bounce back; to counterattack; to strike back
a thorn in one's side; a pain in the butt (often someone higher in rank, ability, etc.); a person standing in one's way; a superior who obstructs one's freedom of action
limit; limits; degree; extent; the end; the last; as long as ...
chief; main; principal; major
outbreak of war; starting a war
to take off; to jump; to take the plunge; to decide; to step out of the ring
trauma (usu. psychological)
to build; to construct; to erect; to amass (e.g. fortune); to pile up
patriot devoted to the salvation of his country
exclusion; removal; rejection; elimination; abatement; lifting (sanctions, etc.)
least; lowest; worst; awful; horrible; at the very least
that's the way it is; such is life
to stand; to rise; to find oneself (e.g. in a difficult position); to depart (on a plane, train, etc.)
to weaken; to grow weak; to be downcast; to be dejected; to be troubled; to be at a loss
to rewind; to rally; to recover; to come back
magnification; enlargement; expansion; amplification
to consider; to eye the possibility (of); to bring into view
close; intimate; on good terms
irony; sarcasm; unexpected; different from what one expected; (only) surface; something superficial
to rescue from; to help out of; to save
restoration; rehabilitation; recovery; recovery (from an illness); recuperation; convalescence
time; season; period; phase; stage
treaty; pact; convention; agreement
obstruction; check; hindrance; prevention; impediment; interdiction
anti-; antithesis; fanqie; traditional Chinese spelling system in which two characters are used: the first one for the onset, the second one for rhyme and tone
stage (theatre, theater); scene or setting (e.g. of novel, play, etc.)
since some time ago; for quite a while; already
attachment; adhesion; tenacity; fixation; obsession
that being the case; in that case; if that's how it's going to go
to attack; to assault; to assail
just cause; good reason; pretext; duty (to one's country, sovereign, etc.)