Word.ws English Dictionary

can't even

/ˈkænt ˌiːvən/

can't even verb: used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see can't, even.

Verb

can't even (third-person singular simple present can't even, no present participle, simple past couldn't even, no past participle)

  1. (no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see can't, even.
    • He’s nine years old, and can’t even tie his own shoelaces!
  2. (no-past-participle, no-present-participle, slang) Without a following verb, as an expression of aporia: to be unable to express one's feelings about an overwhelming situation.
    • Oh my God, I got cheap tickets to the Beyoncé concert! I can’t even!
    • I – being a MASSIVE IDIOT – had a go at him… then agreed to meet up again, but before that happened he… ghosted me again. I tracked him down on Facebook and and^([sic]) he said his new phone had got water damage (I can’t even).2019 October 23, Hayley Quinn, Paisley Gilmour, “An essential guide to 'zombieing' - the dating trend that's worse than ghosting”, in Cosmopolitan

Forms of can't even

third-person singular presentcan't even
pastcouldn't even

Origin of can't even

An aposiopesis of "(I) can't even believe it", "can't even process it" or some comparable expression.

Questions about can't even

What does can't even mean?
Can't even means used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see can't, even.
What part of speech is can't even?
Can't even is a verb.
How do you pronounce can't even?
Can't even is pronounced /ˈkænt ˌiːvən/.
What is the past tense of can't even?
The past tense of can't even is couldn't even.

Words near can't even in the dictionary

  1. can't be fucked
  2. can't but
  3. can't carry a tune in a bucket
  4. can't complain
  5. can't do right for doing wrong
  6. can't even
  7. can't get enough
  8. can't help
  9. can't help but
  10. can't lie
  11. can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: can't even (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-can't even.ogg.

Cite this entry: “can't even.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/can%27t_even. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.