苦しい|くるしいkurushii[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. i-adjectivepainful; difficult; tough; hard
   苦くるしい、やめろ。↗

   It's so painful. Stop it!
2. i-adjectivedistressing; (psychologically) difficult; stressful; awkward (e.g. position)
   彼かれは過去かこの苦くるしい生活せいかつを黙想もくそうした。↗

   He meditated on his past life of suffering.
3. i-adjectivestraitened (circumstances); tight (financial situation); needy; struggling
   彼かれの家族かぞくはかなり生活せいかつが苦くるしい。↗

   His family is rather badly off.
4. i-adjectivestrained (interpretation, explanation, etc.); lame (e.g. excuse); forced (e.g. smile); far-fetched
5. suffix, i-adjectivehard to do; unpleasantafter -masu stem of verb; often ぐるしい

• SynonymつらいNeutralFocuses on emotional anguish, as in 「別れが辛い」; common in speech. 「苦しい」 also covers laboured breathing and financial hardship.
• SynonymきついCasualColloquial for something tough, exhausting or too tight: 「仕事がきつい」「靴がきつい」; also describes a strict, hard person.
• SynonymしんどいCasualColloquial, originally Kansai dialect, for feeling worn out or drained: 「今日はしんどい」. Emphasizes fatigue rather than distress.
• Related痛いいたいNeutralRefers to physical pain, as in 「頭が痛い」; the focus is the pain itself, while 「苦しい」 suggests a choking, oppressed feeling.
• Related心苦しいこころぐるしいNeutralMeans feeling sorry or guilty, as in 「お手数をかけて心苦しい」; mostly used to express regret or apology toward another person.
• Related切ないせつないNeutralDescribes heartrending, wistful sorrow, as in 「切ない恋」; carries a melancholy tinge and centers on an aching heart rather than bodily discomfort.
• Related悲しいかなしいNeutralMeans simply sad, as in 「悲しい知らせ」; it names the emotion alone and carries no sense of strain or hardship.
• Antonym楽しいたのしいNeutralMeans fun and enjoyable; the direct opposite of 「苦しい」.
• Antonym快適かいてきNeutralMeans comfortable and pleasant, as in 「快適な生活」; the opposite of the discomfort of 「苦しい」.
• Antonym安らかやすらかWrittenWritten and formal for peaceful, tranquil, as in 「安らかに眠る」; the opposite of 「苦しい」.

Use 「苦しい」 for physical or mental torment, laboured breathing or financial hardship. For emotional anguish use 「辛い」, exhaustion 「きつい」/「しんどい」, physical pain 「痛い」, guilt 「心苦しい」, wistful heartache 「切ない」; opposites are 「楽しい」 and 「快適」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 息いきがつまって、またはそのような苦痛くつうを感かんじる。
2. つらい、楽らくでない。
3. 論理的ろんりてきではない、道理どうりにかなってない。