苦しい | Japanese meaning

苦しい【くるしい】

Frequency rank: 1,657. – 1,658.

adjective (keiyoushi)

painful; difficult; tough; hard
distressing; (psychologically) difficult; stressful; awkward (e.g. position)
straitened (circumstances); tight (financial situation); needy; struggling
strained (interpretation, explanation, etc.); lame (e.g. excuse); forced (e.g. smile); far-fetched

suffix; adjective (keiyoushi)

hard to do; unpleasantafter -masu stem of verb; often ぐるしいsee also 寝苦しい【ねぐるしい】 and 見苦しい【みぐるしい】

Forms

苦しい【くるしい】Frequency rank: 1,657. – 1,658.
くるしいFrequency rank: 27,801. – 27,994.

Generated definitions (experimental)

painful; difficult; tough; hard

This meaning is used to describe physical pain or difficulty in performing a task, often expressing a harsh or uncomfortable experience.

。

Yesterday's training was very painful.

、。

He has a tough job, and every day is hard.

distressing; (psychologically) difficult; stressful; awkward (e.g. position)

This meaning refers to emotional or psychological discomfort, expressing a situation that is stressful or creates anxiety.

だっ。

That news was distressing for me.

。

The questions in the interview were very difficult for me.

straitened (circumstances); tight (financial situation); needy; struggling

This use indicates a difficult financial situation or circumstances where one is lacking resources, often leading to hardship.

。

They are in a straitened situation.

、。

She has recently fallen into a tight financial situation.

strained (interpretation, explanation, etc.); lame (e.g. excuse); forced (e.g. smile); far-fetched

This meaning pertains to situations where something feels unnatural or exaggerated, such as an explanation that lacks credibility or a smile that seems insincere.

。

His explanation was strained.

。

That excuse was clearly lame.

hard to do; unpleasant

This meaning is used to describe tasks or situations that are challenging or not enjoyable, often indicating repulsion or difficulty in engagement.

。

That job is really hard to do.

。

She had a hard time eating that food.

Generated collocations (experimental)

to experience pain (emotionally or physically)to be in a difficult positionto get through a tough periodto improve a difficult situationto make a lame excuseto force a smileto make a hard choiceto carry a distressing feeling

Wiktionary definitions (experimental)

いきがつまって息がつまって、またはそのようなくつう苦痛をかんじる感じる．.

それにくるしい苦しいうえ上にもくるしかった苦しかったことは、あの、きごう「いぬい乾きごう」のたばこ烟草や屋のものおき物置きにひ火がかかる掛かると、ありたけのたばこ烟草がいちどき一どきにもえだして燃え出して、そのむせる咽ることはきごう…きごう…しょうねつじごく焦熱地獄とはこんなものかとめはな目鼻くち口からなみだがで涙が出やした．.きごう（こうむら高村こううん光雲きごう『ばくまつ幕末いしん維新かいこ懐古だん談やけあと焼け跡のみ身むご惨なはなしきごう』きごう）

つらい、らく楽でない．.

きごころ気心のあった合ったしんゆう親友ならべつ別であるが、そうでもないらいきゃく来客とはなしをする話をすると、すぐにひろう疲労がおこって起ってきて、すわって坐っている居るのさえくるしく苦しくなる．.きごう（はぎはら萩原さくたろう朔太郎きごう『ぼく僕のこどく孤独くせに癖についてきごう』きごう）

ろんりてき論理的ではない、どうりにかなってない道理にかなってない．.

くるしいいいわけ苦しい言い訳をする．.

Wiktionary

Example sentences

47 results

1. 、なさ。

If you can't take it, give up and do what I, your older sister, asked of you.