adversity; sad circumstances; misfortune
A somewhat literary or formal noun referring to a state of hardship or unfortunate situation. Not an everyday conversational word; more common in written or elevated contexts.
Even in adversity, he did not lose hope.
The novel depicts the protagonist's sad circumstances.
Standard kanji form for 'adversity' or 'sad circumstances'.
Rare variant; 悲境 is much more common.
Compound of 悲 (sadness, grief) and 境 (boundary, situation). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with the meaning of a sorrowful state or condition.