rough work; hard physical labor
Refers to physically demanding, often unrefined manual work, such as construction, farming, or heavy lifting. Carries a nuance of toughness rather than mere difficulty.
Rough work at a construction site requires physical strength.
When he was young, he did hard physical labor on a farm.
重労働 is a more formal term for heavy labor, often used in legal or official contexts, whereas 荒仕事 is more colloquial and vivid.
Compound of 荒 (rough, wild) and 仕事 (work). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally conveys rough or physically demanding labor.