ceebs

English

Etymology

From the pronunciation of the letters CB, from the start of various acronyms such as CBA (“can't be arsed”), CBB (“can't be bothered”).

Pronunciation

• (General Australian, UK) enPR: sēbz, IPA^(key): /siːbz/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːbz

Verb

ceebs (invariable)

1. (Australia, UK, colloquial) Cannot be bothered.
   • 2018 June 26, Melissa Mason, “Beauty Products For Hot Messes With Zero Time For Looking After Themselves”, in Pedestrian‎^[1], archived from the original on 30 August 2018:

     "Okay I’m following on the extremely pricey Dyson with this cheapie – when I’m lazy and ceebs filling my entire eyebrows in with colour, I use this guy."

Noun

ceebs (plural not attested)

1. (Australia, UK, colloquial) An activity for which one has little or no enthusiasm. Often accompanied by a size qualifier to signify the magnitude of the apathy.
   • 2014 July 30, El♡ (@_ElyPheasant), “El♡ on Twitter”, in Twitter‎^[2], archived from the original on 30 August 2018:

     "Don't understand why people wear make up on holiday, it's such a ceebs"

2. (Australia, UK, colloquial, often preceded by "the") A humorous, fictional "illness" caused by a lack of enthusiasm for an activity.
   • 2012 August 19, cam smith (@sexenheimer), “cam smith on Twitter”, in Twitter‎^[3], archived from the original on 30 August 2018:

     "I've got a major case of the ceebs as regards making breakfast. If it was really that important I'd be bothered, right?"

Interjection

ceebs

1. (Australia, UK, colloquial) An expression of a lack of enthusiasm for an activity.

   "So, the essay's tomorrow… if you want to pass, you'll have to study tonight." "Ceebs!"

Adjective

ceebs (not comparable)

1. (Australia, informal) tedious.
   • 2023, Christopher Bahng, Chan's Room, episode 205:

     It's so ceebs! Can't be bothered to do anything on a Monday!

Anagrams

• Sebec