can't even en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˈkɑːnt ˌiːvən/
- /ˈkænt ˌiːvən/
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
An aposiopesis of "(I) can't even believe it", "can't even process it" or some comparable expression.
Meanings
-
(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!
-
(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.
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:Oh my God, I got cheap tickets to the Beyoncé concert! I can’t even!
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| couldn't even | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| can't even | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |