苦悩|くのうkunou[0]heiban (flat)

1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verb(mental) agony; anguish; suffering; distress
   その知しらせは多おおくの人々ひとびとを苦悩くのうにおとしいれた。↗

   Many people were plunged into distress by the news.

• Synonym苦しみくるしみNeutralThe most general word for pain, covering both body and mind; 「苦悩」 is limited to mental anguish and inner torment.
• Synonym苦痛くつうWrittenA formal word for pain felt in body or mind, as in 「苦痛を伴う」 or 「苦痛に感じる」; 「苦悩」 is specifically inner anguish and struggle.
• Synonym苦渋くじゅうWrittenBitterness and distress, as in 「苦渋の決断」; 「苦悩」 is the anguish itself.
• Synonym四苦八苦しくはっくCasualAn everyday colloquial idiom for struggling desperately, being at one's wits' end over something; 「苦悩」 is deep inner anguish.
• Synonym悩みなやみNeutralThe most common word for worries and concerns; 「苦悩」 is more literary and much deeper.
• Synonym苦悶くもんWrittenA written word for suffering so intense one writhes, as in 「苦悶の表情」; 「苦悩」 stresses inner torment.
• Synonym懊悩おうのうWrittenStruggling with worry deep in the heart; rare even in written prose, where 「苦悩」 is the usual choice.
• Synonym心痛しんつうNeutralWorry or heartache, as in 「ご心痛」; 「苦悩」 refers to deep-seated anguish.
• Related辛酸しんさんWrittenBitter hardships lived through, as in 「辛酸をなめる」; 「苦悩」 is the anguish itself.
• Related受難じゅなんWrittenEnduring ordeals and hardships, also the Passion of Christ; 「苦悩」 is inward anguish.
• Related心労しんろうWrittenWorry that wears the mind down, as in 「心労が重なる」; 「苦悩」 runs deeper.
• Related心配しんぱいNeutralEveryday worry or concern; 「苦悩」 is far deeper — painful, anguished preoccupation.
• Related煩いわずらいWrittenWorry, and by extension illness, as in 「長患い」; 「苦悩」 is specifically mental.
• Related苦衷くちゅうWrittenDistress one finds hard to share with others, as in 「苦衷を察する」; 「苦悩」 is the anguish itself.
• Related憂苦ゆうくWrittenSorrow and distress; rare in writing, where 「苦悩」 is the normal word.
• Related艱苦かんくWrittenHardship of circumstances or of spirit; rare, while 「苦悩」 is specifically inner anguish and much more common.
• Related痛苦つうくWrittenPain of both body and mind; rare, while 「苦悩」 leans to the mental, emotional side.
• Related責め苦せめくWrittenTorment like torture, or the pains of hell; 「苦悩」 instead names inner anguish, whatever its cause.
• Related疾苦しっくWrittenSuffering from illness or general distress; rare, and 「苦悩」 is the usual word for the mental side.
• Related苦しさくるしさCasualA colloquial noun for the state or degree of feeling pained, as in 「息苦しさ」; 「苦悩」 is mental anguish.
• RelatedつらさCasualThe colloquial, everyday word for how hard or painful something feels; 「苦悩」 is deep mental anguish.
• Related憂悶ゆうもんWrittenGrief and anguish; rare in writing, where 「苦悩」 is the usual word.
• Related悩乱のうらんWrittenWorrying until the mind is tangled and disarrayed; rare in writing, and 「苦悩」 is more common.
• Related痛心つうしんWrittenHeartache and worry; rare in writing, where 「苦悩」 is the word for anguish itself.
• Related悶えもだえNeutralWrithing in anguish, as in 「身悶え」; 「苦悩」 stresses psychological torment.
• Related煩悶懊悩はんもんおうのうWrittenA written four-character compound for mingled worry and anguish; 「苦悩」 is simpler and more common.
• Related悶もんWrittenAlmost never used alone, appearing mainly in compounds like 「煩悶」 and 「悶々」; for anguish say 「苦悩」.
• Antonym歓喜かんきWrittenDelight, great joy — the direct opposite of the mental suffering described by 「苦悩」.
• Antonym幸福こうふくNeutralHappiness — the opposite state of mind to the suffering of 「苦悩」.

Use 「苦悩」 for deep, inner mental anguish, as in 「苦悩の日々」. For suffering in general, of body or mind, choose 「苦しみ」 or 「苦痛」; for everyday worries, 「悩み」; for plain worry, 「心配」. Some words add a specific nuance: 「苦悶」 and 「悶え」 writhing, 「苦衷」 distress one cannot voice, 「苦渋」 bitter distress, 「受難」 ordeals endured; many others, such as 「懊悩」 and 「憂悶」, are rare written words. In casual speech, 「四苦八苦」 means struggling desperately. The opposites are 「歓喜」 (delight) and 「幸福」 (happiness).

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

1. 苦くるしみ悩なやむこと。