苦戦

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 苦戦 is read as くせん and is a noun and する verb for struggling against a strong opponent or difficult problem when progress does not come easily.
• Basic usage: Struggling with a difficult problem appears in 難しい問題に苦戦する, while having a hard fight in a game appears in 試合で苦戦する.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An opponent or task proves difficult
  • It applies not only to battle or sport but also to struggling with a problem or job that is harder than expected.
• Difference from 苦労
  • Unlike the broad word for hardship and effort in life or a process, this term focuses on a difficult phase caused by a challenge or opponent one is confronting.