An embarrassing or awkward situation（恥ずかしい事態、ぎこちない状態）

→“When she realized that she had spoken out of turn, she was at a loss how to smooth over the contretemps.”

→“While he was visiting New York, he had a bad contretemps with the police.”

Progress（進展）

→“Johnny studied hard and made lots of headway in his grades.”

→“The reform plan fails to make headway.”

To cripple; to interfere with proper functioning（足枷になる、邪魔する）

→“Ever since his accident, David has been hobbled by recurring nightmares.”

→“The staggering national debt is hobbling the economy.”

Significance; meaning（意義）

→“This necklace is an object of great import to her.”

→“Education experts are weighing the import of teaching English in elementary school.”

An unsettled state; a dangling situation（未定・中途半端な状態）

→“She left him, leaving their relationship in limbo.”

→“The suspects remain in legal limbo as they await trial.”

A harsh criticism or rebuke（非難、叱責）

→“The company’s management was subject to opprobrium for its lack of clear employment policy.”

→“The president received opprobrium for declaring war without the consent of Parliament.”

In the original, uncontaminated condition; fresh and clean（元の状態を保った、新鮮な）

→“The child’s pristine innocence was lost when his parents got divorced.”

→“She is wearing a pristine blouse today.”

To perform well（優秀なパフィーマンスをする）

→“Tiger Woods rocked in yesterday’s tournament.”

→“Your presentation was excellent. You really rock!”

To upset; to unsettle; to agitate（揺さぶる、動揺させる、怒らせる）

→“The political turmoil is roiling the regional economy.”

→“When someone starts talking on the cell phone on a crowded train, it really roils me.”

To reduce; to cut back（削減する）

→“We need to scale back our monthly entertainment expenses.”

→“Many countries chose to scale down their nuclear power plans after the major earthquake in Japan.”

To exert oneself frantically in order to achieve a certain goal; to move in panic or in hurry（目的を達成する為に非常な努力をする、あせって動き回る）

→“She is scrambling to get admitted to a top law school.”

→“When the fire broke out, the dwellers scrambled for the exit.”

To twist about in order to get free; to writhe and wriggle in embarrassment or discomfort; to fidget（もがく、恥辱感や不快感で身もだえする）

→“When we arrived at the airport, our son struggled to squirm out of the seat belt.”

→“The entire audience squirmed when the speaker lost his place in the lecture notes.”

Enormous in quantity; surprising（莫大な量の、人を驚かせるほどの）

→“The new Prime Minister has staggering responsibilities.”

→“Grand Canyon was a staggering sight.”

A standstill; a condition of being stuck; a deadlock（滞った状態）

→“Our 3-year relationship hit stalemate as we realized we did not enjoy each other’s company so much anymore.”

→“The allied forces faced stalemate after the initial victories.”

To assess and evaluate the current situation and decide what step to take next（現状を分析し次の行動を練る）

→“During her period of unemployment, Jane took stock of her life.”

→“As the Cold War came to an unexpected end, many countries had to take stock of their strategies and adjust accordingly.”