Environmentalists were bitterly anguished to see the forest destroyed.
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From 《左传·成公十三年》 (Spring and Autumn period): 诸侯备闻此言，斯是用痛心疾首 — when the feudal lords heard this, they were sick at heart and aching at head. 疾 here means 'pain,' not the modern 'illness' — it's the same root sense.
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Strong and formal. Used for deep, prolonged grief or bitter regret over a serious matter — a tragedy, a lost war, a moral failing. Too heavy for everyday disappointment.
