1Feeling physical pain, or being in a harsh, difficult situation; painful or hard to bear.
走りすぎて息が苦しい。
I ran too much and it's hard to breathe.
満員電車の中は苦しくて息苦しかった。
It was so crowded on the packed train that it was hard to breathe.
傷が痛んでとても苦しそうだった。
His wound hurt and he looked to be in a lot of pain.
高熱で体がとても苦しい。
My body feels awful from the high fever.
2Emotionally distressing, stressful, or awkward—describing an uncomfortable mental or social state.
彼に嘘をつくのは苦しかった。
It was painful for me to lie to him.
二人の間に立たされて、苦しい立場に置かれた。
I was put in an awkward position, caught between the two of them.
別れを告げるのは苦しい経験だった。
Telling him goodbye was a painful experience.
3Financially strapped; in a tight or struggling economic situation.
会社の経営が苦しい。
The company's finances are struggling.
一人暮らしを始めてから家計が苦しい。
Since I started living alone, my household finances have been tight.
収入が減って生活が苦しくなった。
My income dropped and life became a financial struggle.
4Forced, strained, or unconvincing—describing an excuse, explanation, or expression that feels unnatural.
その言い訳はいくらなんでも苦しい。
That excuse is far too strained to believe.
苦しい笑顔でその場をごまかした。
He got through the moment with a forced smile.
5A suffix attached to the -masu stem of a verb, meaning 'hard to do' or 'unpleasant' (e.g. 寝苦しい 'hard to sleep', 見苦しい 'unsightly').
蒸し暑くて寝苦しい夜が続いている。
It's been muggy, and hard-to-sleep nights have continued.
その態度は見苦しいので、やめたほうがいい。
That attitude is unsightly, so you should stop it.