Tough (world); hard times; describing a harsh or cold social environment.
不景気で世知辛い世の中になった。
The recession has made the world a harsh place.
世知辛い時代を生き抜くために、技術を身につける必要がある。
To survive these hard times, you need to acquire skills.
地方では仕事が少なくて、若者には世知辛い現実だ。
There are few jobs in rural areas, and harsh realities face young people.
Stingy; mercenary; calculating—describing someone who is miserly or overly calculating.
彼は世知辛くて、会計になると細かくチェックする。
He's stingy and checks everything carefully when it comes to money.
世知辛い人とは長く付き合いにくい。
It's hard to have a long relationship with a calculating person.
今の商売は世知辛く、利幅を確保するのが大変だ。
Business is tight these days; it's hard to secure profit margins.