…ほうがよかった => If only (Regret) N3
Regret
~もってのほかだ      => not tolerable; strictly forbidden; not allowed N1
ほとんど…た => hardly any, almost all N2
Description
ほど… => About (approximately) N3
Limit, limit
…というほかはない => no other; nothing else N2
Exclamatory
…ほうがよほど... => very; greatly; much; to a large extent N2
Compare
やっと => Eventually... N4
…ほどだ => almost/nearly N3
Explain
…ほど => To the extent of... N3
Emphasis on degree
ほど => the more… the more ~ N3
ほどなく => No longer... N2
Time
かとおもうほど => a thing reaches such a terrible level N2
For example, simile