care

1 of 2

noun

ˈker How to pronounce care (audio)
plural cares
Synonyms of carenext
1
: suffering of mind : grief
2
a
: a disquieted state of mixed uncertainty, apprehension, and responsibility
oppressed by sickness, grief, or care— William Wordsworth
also : something that causes such a state : a particular worry, concern, etc.
Relax and leave all your cares behind.
b
: a cause for such anxiety
3
a
: painstaking or watchful attention
his gentlemen conduct me with all care to some securest lodging— John Keats
see also take care
b
: maintenance
floor-care products
see also take care of
4
: regard coming from desire or esteem
a care for the common good
5
: charge, supervision
left the house in his care
especially : responsibility for or attention to health, well-being, and safety
under a doctor's care
see also health care, take care of
6
: a person or thing that is an object of attention, anxiety, or solicitude
The flower garden was her special care.

care

2 of 2

verb

cared; caring

intransitive verb

1
a
: to feel trouble or anxiety
cared for his safety
b
: to feel interest or concern
care about freedom
2
: to give care
care for the sick
3
a
: to have a liking, fondness, or taste
don't care for your attitude
b
: to have an inclination
would you care for some pie

transitive verb

1
: to be concerned about or to the extent of
don't care what they say
doesn't care a damn
2
: wish
if you care to go
carer noun
Phrases
care less
: not to care
—used positively and negatively with the same meaning
I could care less what happens
I couldn't care less what happens

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for care

care, concern, solicitude, anxiety, worry mean a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this.

care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Examples of care in a Sentence

Noun She used care in selecting a doctor for her son. The children have inadequate medical care and little formal education. We need to provide poor people with better dental care.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The phrases in her reel emphasize this idea by showing that babies need extra care. — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025 Services range from coordinating medical care to helping tenants access public benefits or achieve educational and employment goals. — Pascale Leone, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
If Arsenal can translate that into the European knockout format, there will be no caring about where their style or anyone else’s sits on the creativity spectrum. — Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025 But this is just theory, what people care about is evidence of success. — Tendayi Viki, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for care

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "sorrow, distress, concern," going back to Old English cearu, caru, going back to Germanic *karō (whence also Old Saxon kara "sorrow, worry," Old High German chara, Old Norse kǫr "sickbed," Gothic kara "concern") perhaps going back to an Indo-European base *ǵeh2r-, *ǵh2r- "make a sound, cry," whence Old Irish ad-gair "(s/he) accuses, sues," Middle Irish gáir "shout, cry," Welsh gawr, Greek gêrys "voice, speech," Middle Persian zryg, zryq "sorrow, suffering," Ossetic (Iron dialect) zæl- "make a sound," zar- "sing"

Note: The original meaning of the Indo-European verb base was perhaps "bewail the deceased," which might account for the divergent meanings "sorrow, care" and "make a sound, cry"; though given that the former meaning is only attested in Iranian and Germanic (in which the putative sense "make a sound," if it ever existed, has left no trace), it may be more likely that two separate Indo-European bases, one perhaps sound-symbolic, have partially merged. Note that the Indo-European reconstruction *ǵeh2r-, *ǵh2r- is based solely on presumed canonical root structure, as the only attested vocalisms for the base are *gar- and *gār-. Latin garrīre "to chatter, jabber," with geminate r, may be an unrelated onomatopoeic formation.

Verb

Middle English caren "to grieve, be anxious, be solicitous," going back to Old English cearian, carian, going back to Germanic *karōjan- (whence Old Saxon karon "to lament," Old High German karōn, Gothic karon "to be concerned"), derivative of *karō "sorrow, worry" — more at care entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of care was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing care

Rhymes for care

See All Rhymes for care

Browse Nearby Words

care
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/care. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

care

1 of 2 noun
ˈke(ə)r How to pronounce care (audio)
ˈka(ə)r
1
: a heavy sense of responsibility
2
: serious attention
take care in crossing streets
3
: protection sense 1, supervision
under a doctor's care
4
: an object of one's care

care

2 of 2 verb
cared; caring
1
: to feel interest or concern
we care what happens
2
: to give care
care for the sick
3
: to have a liking or a desire
would you care for some pie?
carer noun

Medical Definition

care

noun
ˈka(ə)r, ˈke(ə)r How to pronounce care (audio)
: responsibility for or attention to health, well-being, and safety see acute care, chronic care, health care, intensive care entry 1, primary care, secondary care, tertiary care
care intransitive verb
cared; caring

Legal Definition

care

noun
1
: watchful or protective attention, caution, concern, prudence, or regard usually towards an action or situation
especially : due care
a person has a duty to use care in dealing with others, and failure to do so is negligence — R. I. Mehr
see also due care, negligence, standard of care

Note: Statute, case law, and custom often impose a duty of care. The degree or standard of care owed varies depending on the circumstances. For example, a landlord has to exercise greater care in relation to a tenant than to a trespasser.

2
a
: personal supervision or responsibility : charge
b
: maintenance

More from Merriam-Webster on care

Nglish: Translation of care for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about care

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