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Formation: N (emotion noun: 同情, 怒り, 憤り, 驚き, 涙, 失望) + を禁じ得ない

Literally 'cannot hold back': the situation makes an emotion such as sympathy, anger, surprise or tears rise up despite oneself. It expresses the speaker's own (or the narrator's) feeling and attaches only to emotion nouns, not verbs. It is very formal and stiff, typical of editorials, official statements, speeches and serious essays. Compare 〜ずにはいられない and 〜てならない, which attach to verbs and adjectives and are more conversational. 〜に堪えない is also formal but is used for deep gratitude or regret (感謝に堪えない) or for something too awful to watch or hear.

Variants: 〜を禁じ得なかった、〜を禁じえない

Examples

• 被害者の境遇には同情を禁じ得ない。
  I cannot help feeling sympathy for the victims' plight.
• 政府の無責任な対応に、憤りを禁じ得ない。
  I cannot contain my indignation at the government's irresponsible response.
• 恩師の訃報に接し、涙を禁じ得なかった。
  When I heard that my old teacher had died, I could not hold back my tears.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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