toil; drudgery; hard labor
Refers to physically or mentally exhausting work, often with a nuance of suffering or hardship. Can be used for both literal labor and figurative burdens.
彼は毎日の苦役に疲れ果てていた。
He was exhausted from the daily toil.
penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor
Dated legal term for a punishment involving forced labor. Modern Japanese law uses 懲役 (ちょうえき) instead. Still encountered in historical contexts.
See also: 懲役
昔は重罪犯に苦役が科せられた。
In the past, penal servitude was imposed on serious criminals.
その仕事はまるで苦役のようだった。
That job was like drudgery.
苦役という刑罰は現在では使われていない。
The punishment of penal servitude is no longer used today.