difficult situation; predicament; dilemma
Refers to a tough, distressing position or circumstances, often used in news, business, or personal hardship contexts.
The company is in a difficult situation due to a lack of funds.
He overcame his predicament and succeeded.
The company fell into a difficult situation due to a lack of funds.
He overcame various hardships and succeeded.
A friend rescued me from a difficult situation.
The company has been driven into a difficult situation by intense competition.
窮地 emphasizes an urgent, critical tight spot, whereas 苦境 can describe a more prolonged, ongoing hardship.
逆境 refers more broadly to adverse circumstances or misfortune in life, while 苦境 points to a specific difficult situation someone is currently facing.
ピンチ is a casual, everyday loanword for a tight spot, while 苦境 is more formal and common in news or business contexts.
苦境 is the more common, general word for a difficult situation or plight, while 難場 suggests a specific tight spot one must get through.
苦境 refers broadly to any difficult or tight situation, while 窮状 specifically describes a visibly pitiable or desperate state such as poverty or disaster damage.
苦境 is a general term for a difficult predicament, while 泥沼 vividly emphasizes being mired and unable to escape.
ジレンマ specifically means being torn between two undesirable options, whereas 苦境 refers more broadly to any difficult or distressing situation.
苦境 describes a tough, ongoing hardship (often financial or social), whereas 羽目 refers to a sudden, specific awkward situation one 'ends up in'.
苦境 refers to any difficult predicament and doesn't necessarily involve poverty, while 困窮 specifically implies being seriously pressed by lack of money or resources.
苦境 emphasizes ongoing hardship or suffering in a situation, while 難局 focuses on the difficulty of resolving or navigating through it.
苦境 refers to a personal state of hardship or distress one is stuck in, while 危機 can apply equally to sudden dangerous turning points for individuals or whole systems.
順境 means favorable circumstances or good fortune, the direct opposite of the distressing situation described by 苦境.
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news word.
Rarely used kanji form; learners should recognize it but use 苦境.
Compound of 苦 (ku, 'suffering') and 境 (kyō, 'boundary' or 'situation'), literally 'suffering situation'. The reading is on'yomi.