i-adjective
unpleasant to hear; harsh on the ears
Describes sounds, speech, or music that are grating, offensive, or painful to listen to.
彼の歌は聞き苦しい。
His singing is unpleasant to listen to.
隣の部屋から聞き苦しい音が聞こえてきた。
An unpleasant sound came from the next room.
i-adjective
difficult to hear; hard to make out
Refers to speech or audio that is unclear, muffled, or hard to understand due to volume, distortion, or poor articulation.
電話の声が聞き苦しかった。
The voice on the phone was hard to hear.
彼の説明は早口で聞き苦しい。
His explanation is fast and difficult to follow.