A hard-fought battle or struggle; a contest in which one has difficulty and exerts a lot of effort (used for matches, elections, tasks, etc.).
強豪チーム相手に苦戦したが、最後に勝てた。
We struggled against the strong team, but managed to win in the end.
選挙では新人候補が予想以上に苦戦している。
The newcomer candidate is struggling more than expected in the election.
資金不足でプロジェクトは苦戦している。
The project is struggling due to a lack of funds.