above; up; top; summit; surface; before; previous
to rain incessantly; to downpour
to soak into; to permeate; to penetrate
centre; center; middle; capital; seat of government
imperial palace; shrine; Grand Empress Dowager; Empress Dowager; woman of imperial lineage who has borne a child; elderly woman of imperial lineage
freely; generously; liberally; ungrudgingly; unsparingly
highly priced; expensive; valuable; costly
large quantity; massive (quantity); mass (e.g. mass production, mass transit, mass destruction)
to use (a thing, method, etc.); to make use of; to use (a person, animal, puppet, etc.); to employ; to use (time, money, etc.); to spend
to make out to be; to set someone up (as); to prepare (e.g. someone for a role); to make (e.g. "a man out of him"); to frame
luxurious; magnificent; extravagant; sumptuous
chalk (mineral); white wall
edifice; monumental architecture; huge building
... years since construction; ... years old (of a building); built in ...
year; counter for years (e.g. of an era), grades (e.g. school); period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years)
to pass; to elapse; to pass through; to go through; to experience; to go through
still; yet; more; still more; as ...; like ...
a little; a bit; somewhat; slightly; rather
to harm; to hurt; to injure; to fail to ...; to miss one's opportunity to ...
dignified appearance; majestic appearance; imposing appearance
pluralizing suffix (esp. for people and animals; formerly honorific)
to; for; from the standpoint of; as far as ... is concerned
eternal; everlasting; unchangeable; invariant
pronoun; synonym; classic example; pattern
should; must; -able; probably; likely
absolute authority or power (over someone or something)
(abstract) symbol; emblem; representation
this; last (couple of years, etc.); these; you (as in "you liar")
large; big; great; prominent; -sized; as big as; university
brittle; fragile; weak; tender-hearted; sentimental; easily moved
weak; frail; delicate; tender; unskilled; weak (wine)
earth; ground; place; territory; bottom (of a package, book, etc.); earth (one of the five elements)
to creep about; to crawl around
every day; daily; day after day; days (e.g. good old days)
to live; to exist; to make a living; to subsist; to be in effect; to be in use
thing; matter; incident; occurrence; circumstances; situation; work
force; strength; capability; ability; efficacy; effect; effort
mostly; nearly; practically; well-nigh; almost invariably; all but
to spend; to expend; to waste; to squander; to devote