Main Entry:

¹care

Pronunciation:

\ˈker\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English caru; akin to Old High German kara lament, Old Irish gairm call, cry, Latin garrire to chatter

Date:

before 12th century

1: suffering of mind : grief2 a: a disquieted state of mixed uncertainty, apprehension, and responsibility b: a cause for such anxiety3 a: painstaking or watchful attention b: maintenance <floor-care products>4: regard coming from desire or esteem5: charge, supervision <under a doctor's care>6: a person or thing that is an object of attention, anxiety, or solicitude

synonyms 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>.