難局|なんきょくnankyoku[0]heiban (flat)

1. noundifficult situation
   あなたの助たすけがなければ、私はその難局なんきょくを乗り越のりこえることができなかったでしょう。↗

   But for your help I could not have got over the hardship.

• Synonym困難こんなんNeutralA neutral noun for difficulty itself, as in 「困難を乗り越える」. Broader in range than 「難局」 and not necessarily a whole situation to be worked through.
• Synonym苦境くきょうNeutralA predicament a person, company, etc. has fallen into, as in 「苦境に立つ」. Stresses a hardship-filled position, while 「難局」 is a situation that must be worked through.
• Synonym難場なんばNeutralA rare word for a tough spot or difficult point. Stresses concrete difficulties rather than a situation as a whole.
• Related窮状きゅうじょうWrittenWritten/formal prose for a distressed state in life, business, or finances, as in 「経営の窮状」. 「難局」 stresses a situation that is hard to deal with.
• Related危機ききNeutralA common neutral word for a crisis, as in 「経営危機」. Stresses danger closing in, while 「難局」 stresses a situation that must be managed.
• RelatedクライシスNeutralA loanword for crisis, tending toward technical or rhetorical use, as in 「クライシス管理」. Not the everyday word for a difficult situation.
• Related危局ききょくWrittenWritten/formal prose for a dangerous situation; used less often, and in everyday speech 「危機」 is the usual choice.
• Related危急存亡の秋ききゅうそんぼうのときWrittenA written/formal idiom for a make-or-break, life-or-death moment. Solemn in tone, far heavier than 「難局」.
• Antonym順境じゅんきょうWrittenWritten/formal prose for favorable circumstances, the direct opposite of the difficult situation that 「難局」 denotes.

Use 「難局」 for a difficult situation you must find a way through, as in 「難局を乗り切る」. For difficulty in general say 「困難」, for a personal or corporate predicament 「苦境」, for a crisis 「危機」, and for dire straits in life or finances 「窮状」. The antonym is 「順境」.

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

1. 対応たいおうが困難こんなんな局面きょくめんや場面ばめん。