noun
toil; drudgery; hard labor
Refers to physically or mentally exhausting work, often with a nuance of suffering or hardship. Can be used for both literal labor and figurative burdens.
彼は毎日の苦役に疲れ果てていた。
He was exhausted from the daily toil.
その仕事はまるで苦役のようだった。
That job was like drudgery.
noun
penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor
Dated legal term for a punishment involving forced labor. Modern Japanese law uses 懲役 (ちょうえき) instead. Still encountered in historical contexts.
See also: 懲役
昔は重罪犯に苦役が科せられた。
In the past, penal servitude was imposed on serious criminals.
苦役という刑罰は
The punishment of penal servitude is no longer used today.