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.
彼の落ち込む姿は見るに忍びなかった。
His dejected appearance was unbearable to watch.
荒れ果てた故郷の姿は、見るに忍びないものだった。
The sight of my devastated hometown was too painful to bear.
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."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 見るに忍びない光景 (a scene too painful to watch)
- 見るに忍びない姿 (an unbearable sight)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 見るに堪えない: cannot bear to watch — similar but can also mean "unwatchable" due to poor quality
- 目を覆う: to cover one's eyes — a more vivid physical expression of the same feeling