Feeling physical pain or experiencing a difficult, strenuous situation; painful or hard to endure.
手を火傷して、動かすととても苦しい。
I burned my hand; it hurts a lot when I move it.
試験勉強で毎日苦しい日々が続いている。
I've been going through hard days every day studying for exams.
彼は階段を上ると息が切れて苦しいと言った。
He said he felt breathless and in distress when climbing stairs.
Emotionally distressing or psychologically difficult; a stressful or awkward position.
彼女とは話が合わず、会うといつも苦しい気持ちになる。
I never get along with her; meeting her always makes me feel uncomfortable.
上司の前で意見を言うのは苦しくて緊張する。
It's stressful and nerve-wracking to voice my opinion in front of the boss.
家計が苦しいので、出費を減らさなければならない。
Our household finances are tight, so we have to cut expenses.
Being financially strapped or in a tight situation; having little money and struggling.
円安で会社の業績が悪化し、今年は本当に苦しい。
With the weak yen, the company's performance worsened; this year is really tough.
受験に失敗して奨学金もなく、生活が苦しい学生が増えている。
There are more students struggling financially after failing entrance exams and losing scholarship support.
Forced, strained, or unconvincing (e.g., an awkward explanation or a forced smile); something that feels far-fetched.
彼の言い訳は苦しくて誰も信じなかった。
His excuse was so strained that no one believed it.
彼女の微笑みはどこか苦しく見えた。
Her smile looked somewhat forced.
A suffix-like usage attaching to a verb stem or noun to mean 'hard to do' or 'unpleasant' (e.g., 寝苦しい, 見苦しい).
夏は蒸し暑くて寝苦しい夜が続く。
In summer the humid heat continues and nights are hard to sleep in.
汚れた靴は見苦しいので、ちゃんと掃除しなさい。
Dirty shoes look unsightly, so clean them properly.