predicament; difficult situation; tight spot
Refers to a challenging or troublesome situation one finds oneself in. Often used in contexts like 難場を切り抜ける (to get out of a predicament).
He has gotten through many difficult situations.
He has overcome one predicament after another.
The negotiation was truly a difficult situation.
The company got through this difficult situation.
The team is currently in a tight spot.
The match is reaching a critical point.
窮地 is a slightly literary word for being cornered with no easy way out, close in feel to 難場 but often implying more desperation.
ピンチ is a casual loanword for a critical or risky moment, more conversational than the somewhat formal 難場.
Compound of 難 (difficulty, hardship) and 場 (place, situation). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally yields the meaning 'difficult situation'.