Effectively and skillfully（効率的に）

→“The whole audience was impressed with the debater as she adroitly rebutted her opponent’s argument.”

→“He took to his new job cleverly and adroitly.”

A protest or negative reaction to a proposal or action taken（反動、抗議）

→“The plan to increase taxes ran into a backlash from the taxpayers.”

→“The party leader faces an internal backlash over his new foreign policy.”

→“There is a nationwide backlash against the series of liberal decisions by Supreme Court.”

To engage in a romantic relationship; to make an effort to please somebody in order to get something in return; to invite or solicit（おつき合いをする、何らかの見返りを期待して相手の機嫌を取る、招く）

→“He started courting her immediately after being introduced to her at a social function.”

→“The Republican presidential candidates are busy courting the voters and the media.”

→“Some developing countries are courting Japanese corporations to build factories on their soil.”

A termination; an end; a death（終止符、死）

→“The old school’s demise was cause for much public chagrin.”

→“The senior statesman faces a political demise over the scandal.”

To make tired and weak（疲労・弱化させる）

→“After running a marathon, he was enervated to the point of collapse.”

→“After 2 weeks of intensive campaigning, the entire team is enervated.”

A statement, conduct or person that is deceptive or insincere（偽りの言葉や行為、誠意に欠けた人物）

→“Don’t give me that humbug. I insist that you tell me the truth!”

→“The terrorist blurted out an impassioned self-defense, but the court totally dismissed him as a helpless humbug.”

To mobilize or summon enough resources or resolution to tackle a difficult task（困難な課題に向けて才能・力・決意などを集中する）

→“I mustered all my powers to deliver a good speech.”

→“The new government is trying to muster international support for its radical reform measures.”

To fasten; to fix; to determine（固定する、～に結び付けて一定させる、～と決めつける）

→“The sun was shining beautifully so I took my laundry outside and pegged it on the washing line.”

→“Our nation’s currency is pegged to the US dollar.”

→“Don’t peg me as a lazy person. I do work hard sometimes.”

A round post or column that supports a structure; an integral part of a system or group（支柱、物事の大黒柱、組織や思想形態における要の部分）

→“This roof is supported by 8 pillars.”

→“She is a model citizen, a pillar of the community.”

Loud and noisy in a unruly or unpleasant way（うるさい、騒々しい）

→“The speaker was overwhelmed by the raucous audience.”

→“The pop singer got a raucous welcome from the waiting fans at the airport.”

To be in a strong and healthy state（強く健康な状態である）

→“I exercise every day and am in a robust condition.”

→“The economy is finally back to its former robust state.”

(Mainly for criticism or protest) Sharp and severe（批判や抗議が鋭く痛々しい）

→“The student wrote a scathing criticism of the professor in the course evaluation.”

→“She shot me a scathing look when I told her to shut up.”

Something good that is hidden in an otherwise difficult or adversarial situation（試練や困難な状況の中に隠された良いことや恵み）

→“I know you are going through a personal ordeal. I can only suggest that you look for the silver lining in all this.”

→“Even the most unpleasant experience holds a silver lining for the reflective thinker.”

A measure or gauge against which to compare something so as to judge its quality（比較・判断・評価するにあたって使用する基準・尺度）

→“Laughter is an important yardstick of happiness.”

→“Our school uses the student evaluation as a yardstick against which to measure the teachers’ performance.”