noun
distress; anguish; inner suffering
A formal, somewhat literary noun for deep inner distress or mental anguish, often used in written or serious contexts.
彼の手紙には深い苦衷がにじんでいた。
His letter was imbued with deep anguish.
戦争の苦衷を語り継ぐことが大切だ。
It is important to pass on the mental suffering caused by war.