1.
cannot bear to watch; too painful to see; unbearable to look at
Describes a situation so pitiful, painful, or distressing that one cannot stand to keep watching. Expresses deep sympathy or discomfort at someone else's suffering or a deteriorating situation.
見るに忍びない光景だった。
It was a scene too painful to watch.
Usage
忍ぶ means "to endure" or "to bear," and 忍びない is its negative potential form meaning "cannot bear." The expression is literary and somewhat formal, often used in writing and emotional descriptions. It conveys strong empathy or distress.
Variation: 見るに堪えない is a similar expression with a slightly different nuance — it can mean either "too painful to watch" (like this expression) or "too poor in quality to watch."