Word.ws English Dictionary

couldn't even

couldn't even is the simple past of can't even.

Meaning of 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!

Questions about couldn't even

What is couldn't even the simple past of?
Couldn't even is the simple past of can't even.

Words near couldn't even in the dictionary

  1. couldn't but
  2. couldn't care less
  3. couldn't carry a note in a bucket
  4. couldn't carry a tune in a bucket
  5. couldn't catch a cold
  6. couldn't even
  7. couldn't get enough
  8. couldn't happen to a nicer
  9. couldn't have cared less
  10. couldn't help
  11. couldn't help but

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: couldn't even (page history and authors); 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.

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