Word.ws English Dictionary

couldn't seem

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

Meaning of can't seem

Verb

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

  1. (no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Seem to be unable; seem not to be able.
    • I can't seem to lift the box alone. Would you give me a hand, please?
  2. (no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see can't, seem.
    • You can't seem bored when you're at a job interview. If you are bored, hide it!

Questions about couldn't seem

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

Words near couldn't seem in the dictionary

  1. couldn't organise an orgy in a brothel
  2. couldn't piss a hole in the snow
  3. couldn't pour water out of a boot
  4. couldn't pour water out of a boot with the instructions on the heel
  5. couldn't run a bath
  6. couldn't seem
  7. couldn't stand
  8. couldn't stand the sight of
  9. couldn't stop a pig in a passage
  10. couldn't wait
  11. couldn't've

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: couldn't seem (page history and authors); can't seem (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:

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