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View synonyms for care

care

1

[ kair ]

noun

  1. a state of mind in which one is troubled; worry, anxiety, or concern:

    He was never free from care.

  2. a cause or object of worry, anxiety, concern, etc.:

    A massage is an excellent way to forget your cares for a little while.

    Their son has always been a heavy care to them.

  3. serious attention; solicitude; heed; caution:

    She devotes great care to her work.

  4. the provision of what is needed for the well-being or protection of a person or thing:

    He is under the care of a doctor.

    With proper care, the watch will last a lifetime.

  5. temporary keeping, as for the benefit of or until claimed by the owner:

    He left his valuables in the care of friends.

    Address my mail in care of the American Embassy.

  6. grief; suffering; sorrow.

verb (used without object)

, cared, car·ing.
  1. to be concerned or solicitous; have thought or regard:

    You can just tell she cares for people's feelings by the way she talks to them.

  2. to be concerned or have a special preference (usually used in negative constructions):

    I don't care where we go, I just want to get out of town for a bit.

  3. to make provision or look out (usually followed by for ):

    Will you care for the children while I am away?

  4. to have an inclination, liking, fondness, or affection (usually followed by for ):

    Would you care for dessert?

    I don't care for him very much.

verb (used with object)

, cared, car·ing.
  1. to feel concern about:

    He doesn't care what others say.

  2. to wish; desire; like:

    Would you care to dance?

verb phrase

    1. to have concern for or interest in:

      It's a privilege to stand in the presence of so many people who care about building a better Canada.

      They don't care about the privacy of the people who use their services.

    2. to have affection for; love:

      One of my greatest joys in life is cooking for those I care about.

CARE

2
or Care

[ kair ]

noun

  1. a private organization for the collection of funds, goods, etc., for distribution to people in foreign countries who need aid.

care

1

/ kɛə /

verb

  1. when tr, may take a clause as object to be troubled or concerned; be affected emotionally

    he is dying, and she doesn't care

  2. intr; foll by for or about to have regard, affection, or consideration (for)

    he cares more for his hobby than his job

  3. intrfoll byfor to have a desire or taste (for)

    would you care for some tea?

  4. intrfoll byfor to provide physical needs, help, or comfort (for)

    the nurse cared for her patients

  5. tr to agree or like (to do something)

    would you care to sit down, please?

  6. for all I care
    for all I careI couldn't care less I am completely indifferent

noun

  1. careful or serious attention

    under her care the plant flourished

    he does his work with care

  2. protective or supervisory control

    in the care of a doctor

  3. often plural trouble; anxiety; worry
  4. an object of or cause for concern

    the baby's illness was her only care

  5. caution

    handle with care

  6. care of
    care of at the address of: written on envelopes Usual abbreviationc/o
  7. in care
    in careinto care social welfare made the legal responsibility of a local authority by order of a court

CARE

2

/ kɛə /

acronym for

  1. Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere, Inc.; a federation of US charities, giving financial and technical assistance to many regions of the world
  2. communicated authenticity, regard, empathy: the three qualities believed to be essential in the therapist practising client-centred therapy

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Usage Note

Couldn't care less, a phrase used to express indifference, is sometimes heard as could care less, which ought to mean the opposite but is intended to be synonymous with the former phrase. Both versions are common mainly in informal speech.

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Other Words From

  • car·er noun
  • non·car·ing adjective
  • o·ver·care noun
  • un·car·ing adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of care1

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun care “sadness, sorrow, grief,” Old English caru, cearu, cognate with Gothic kara, Old High German chara “lament”

Origin of care2

First recorded in 1945–50; shortening of C(ooperative for) A(merican) R(elief) E(verywhere)

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Word History and Origins

Origin of care1

Old English cearu (n), cearian (vb), of Germanic origin; compare Old High German chara lament, Latin garrīre to gossip

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. couldn't care less, could not care less; be completely unconcerned: Also could care less.

    I couldn't care less whether she goes to the party or not.

  2. take care of,
    1. to watch over; be responsible for:

      to take care of an invalid.

    2. to deal with; attend to:

      I'll take care of the bill, and you can go out and get the car started.

  3. take care,
    1. be alert; be careful:

      Take care that you don't fall on the ice!

    2. take care of yourself; goodbye: used as an expression of parting.

More idioms and phrases containing care

In addition to the idiom beginning with care , also see couldn't care less ; for all (I care) ; in care of ; in charge (the care of) ; take care ; take care of ; tender loving care ; that's (takes care of) that .

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Synonym Study

To take care, pains, trouble (to do something) implies watchful, conscientious effort to do something exactly right. To take care implies the performance of one particular detail: She took care to close the cover before striking the match. To take pains suggests a sustained carefulness, an effort to see that nothing is overlooked but that every small detail receives attention: to take pains with fine embroidery. To take trouble implies an effort that requires a considerable amount of activity and exertion: to take the trouble to make suitable arrangements.

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Example Sentences

There would be less total health care, less child care, less energy available to households, and less value added in the university sector.

The report says a record 765 hospitals and other health care facilities participated in the annual Healthcare Equality Index survey at a time when they faced unprecedented challenges in caring for patients in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Those who say health care is their single top issue back Biden 77 percent to 19 percent.

Regulators and health care leaders, backed up by political leaders, must take the lead in building public confidence in the integrity of the entire vaccine development and distribution process.

From Fortune

Feigenholtz said she wants the agency to establish benchmarks on moving the children out of the hospitals and increasing specialized foster care, then report back to legislators.

Placed in drinking water, fluoride can serve people who otherwise have poor access to dental care.

He has wild swings between trying not to care about Lana and the baby, and being completely obsessed by it.

Who among Scalise's constituents could possibly care if he supported naming a post office for a black judge who died in 1988?

Haringey Council told The Daily Beast that the children had not been taken permanently into state care.

In these regions, men are now doing between 30 and 45 percent of the care work.

I do not care very much how you censor or select the reading and talking and thinking of the schoolboy or schoolgirl.

And this summer it seemed to her that she never would be able to take proper care of her nestful of children.

Polavieja, as everybody knew, was the chosen executive of the friars, whose only care was to secure their own position.

On this account, great care should be taken to provide well-drained positions.

You never cared—you were too proud to care; and when I spoke to you about my fault, you did n't even know what I meant.

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Related Words

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More About Care

What is a basic definition of care?

Care means to devote thought to something and consider it important enough to be worthy of concern. Care also means an attention to detail or the supervision and protection of something. Care has several other senses as a noun and a verb.

If you care about something, then you think it is worthy of your time and it is of concern to you. Most parents care what happens to their children, for example, and will protect and help them.

  • Real-life examples: Animal lovers care about the safety and treatment of pets. Most citizens care where their tax money goes. The point of giving a person a present is to show that you care about them.
  • Used in a sentence: I always watch the news because I care deeply about what is happening in the world. 

This sense of care is often used in the negative to mean to think something is unimportant or is unworthy of a person’s attention or concern.

  • Used in a sentence: I really don’t care if you throw out that old couch. 

As a noun, care refers to caution or an attention to detail, usually when you are trying to not make a mistake or miss something. The adjective careful, meaning cautious, comes from this sense of care. The adjective careless means someone is not using care at all.

  • Real-life examples: Surgeons use great care when they slowly and methodically perform surgeries. Drivers should use care when navigating snow and ice on the road. Masters of a craft devote great care to their work and create amazing things.
  • Used in a sentence: The house was falling down because the carpenters didn’t devote much care when they built it. 

Care is also used to refer to a situation in which someone or something is under the protection and supervision of someone. A patient who is in a doctor’s care, for example, is being watched and tended to by their doctor. The idiom take care of is related to this sense of care. The term healthcare also comes from this sense.

  • Real-life examples: Baby bears are under their mother’s care until they can protect themselves. Plants need proper care from gardeners if they are to grow successfully. Most people keep their money in the care of a bank or accountant.
  • Used in a sentence: The children were in the teacher’s care during the field trip. 

Where does care come from?

The first records of care come from before the 900s. It comes from the Old English noun caru and verb carian. It is related to the Old High German chara, meaning “lament.”

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to care?

  • carer (noun)
  • caring (adjective, noun, present tense verb)
  • uncaring (adjective)
  • noncaring (adjective)
  • overcare (noun)

What are some synonyms for care?

What are some words that share a root or word element with care? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing care?

How is care used in real life?

Care is a very common word that people use to express whether they do or don’t consider something worth thinking about or being concerned with.

Try using care!

True or False?

If you care about your house, you don’t think about it very much and aren’t concerned about what happens to it.

When To Use

What are other ways to say care?

The noun care refers to a state of mind in which one is troubled or anxious about something. How does care compare to concern and worry? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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