What it means
にたえない expresses that the speaker cannot bear doing something because it is extremely unpleasant, shocking, painful, or otherwise difficult to endure. It commonly follows the dictionary form of a verb and is used in serious, formal, or written contexts. Depending on the context, it can also mean that something is too poor or unsuitable to be worth doing, viewing, hearing, or using.
Usage note
にたえない may be written as に耐えない or に堪えない, and the kana form alone does not determine the intended nuance. に耐えない can mean “cannot bear” or “is unbearable,” as in 見るに耐えない, so it is not limited to describing something that lacks sufficient resistance or is unsuitable for a purpose. Do not confuse this construction with ～に堪えない in expressions such as 感謝に堪えない, which means that one cannot contain an emotion such as gratitude.
How to use it
この記録映像は、あまりにも悲惨で見るにたえません。
This recorded footage is so horrific that it is unbearable to watch.
この記録映像は、あまりにも悲惨で見るにたえない。
This recorded footage is so horrific that it is unbearable to watch.
Example sentences
家族を失った人々の悲嘆を映したその映像は、見るに耐えないほど痛ましかった。
The footage showing the grief of people who had lost their families was so harrowing that it was unbearable to watch.
専門家を装った人物の根拠のない説明は、聞くに耐えないものだった。