rapid growth – expansion – acceleration

recession – decline – economic slowdown

negotiation – arbitration – settlement

investment – assets – equity

supervisor – coordinator – leader

transport operator – shipping company – airline

investor – sponsor – shareholder

laboratory – clinic – institution

limited – partial – moderate

extreme – fundamental – far-reaching

decorative – superficial – stylistic

temporary – transitional – short-term

overall financial conditions – market environment – economic situation

rainfall pattern – humidity level – seasonal changes

business ethics – corporate culture – workplace behaviour

legal framework – constitutional rights – judicial process

violator – offender – critic

interested party – key participant – invested group or individual

observer – bystander – spectator

trainee – apprentice – volunteer

a trickle of – a shortage of – a lack of

a wide range of – a variety of – numerous

a single type of – a uniform set of – one category of

a doubling of – a multiplication of – an expansion of

refreshing – innovative – productive

futile – meaningless – serving no purpose

controversial – provocative – debatable

subtle – understated – indirect

assume something is guaranteed – fail to appreciate – overlook its value

celebrate it enthusiastically – highlight its importance – honour it

doubt its accuracy – question its purpose – challenge its use

examine it closely – analyse thoroughly – inspect carefully

seduce

confuse

frighten

discourage

offer understanding – shed light on – give meaningful analysis

obscure details – hide information – complicate matters

summarise casually – mention briefly – touch on lightly

decorate – embellish – dramatise

calming – reassuring – predictable

confusing – puzzling – hard to understand

amusing – entertaining – humorous

gigantic – overwhelming – immense

gradually – eventually – slowly

quietly – discreetly – subtly

completely – openly – unequivocally

partially – somewhat – moderately

a sign of good fortune – a positive omen – a promising start

a warning of coming failure – an indication of trouble ahead

a sudden breakthrough – a major discovery – an unexpected success

an exaggerated rumour – a false alarm – a baseless claim

give up – formally reject – abandon a claim

admire – praise – appreciate

acquire – inherit – obtain

improve – upgrade – enhance

creative – prestigious – influential

low-status – routine – unskilled

competitive – demanding – rigorous

temporary – occasional – infrequent

dismiss – sack – remove from a job

motivate – energise – inspire

warn – caution – alert

confuse – overwhelm – frustrate

flexible – lenient – easy-going

strict – rigorous – demanding

temporary – unstable – short-lived

decorative – supplementary – optional

simplify – weaken – reduce

polish – improve – perfect

ignore – skip – avoid

enlarge – widen – expand

basic – primitive – undeveloped

complex – intricate – advanced

artificial – fabricated – engineered

temporary – short-term – passing

differ from – contrast with – oppose

imitate – mirror – be similar to

replace – supersede – take over

hide – disguise – conceal

circular

tapering

hollow

rectangular

blurry – unclear – vague

mild – moderate – soft

keen – acute – incisive

weak – fragile – breakable

to decorate – to arrange – to modify

to imagine – to dream – to speculate

to infer – to conclude – to reason out

to copy – to mimic – to reproduce