苦渋（くじゅう）
JLPT N1 · noun
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, then stays high with no drop
Meaning: anguish / bitter struggle
Example sentences
- 苦渋の決断を迫られる。 — He was forced into a painful, agonizing decision.
- 苦渋の日々を乗りこえる。 — She got through days of bitter hardship.
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “苦渋” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)