1Hardship, toil, or difficulty — the pains and effort involved in work or life.
若いころ苦労した経験が今の自信につながっている。
The hardships I went through when I was young have become the source of my confidence now.
一人で子どもを育てるのは苦労が絶えない。
Raising a child alone comes with endless hardships.
彼は事業を軌道に乗せるまでかなり苦労したらしい。
It seems he went through a lot of hardship before getting the business on track.
長旅の後で、みんな疲れて苦労がにじみ出ていた。
After the long trip, everyone was exhausted and their fatigue showed.
2Anxiety or worry; sometimes refers to mental strain or cares, as in 気苦労 (mental/emotional strain).
両親は娘の結婚のことでいろいろ苦労しているようだ。
It seems the parents are worrying a lot about their daughter's marriage.
上司との関係で気苦労が絶えない。
There's constant mental strain from the relationship with my boss.
借金の返済で苦労している人は少なくない。
There are quite a few people burdened with worry over repaying debts.