care

1 of 2

noun

ˈker

plural cares

Synonyms of care next

: suffering of mind : grief

: 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.

: a cause for such anxiety

: painstaking or watchful attention

his gentlemen conduct me with all care to some securest lodging—

John Keats

verb

cared; caring

intransitive verb

: to feel trouble or anxiety

cared for his safety

: to feel interest or concern

care about freedom

: to give care

care for the sick

: to have a liking, fondness, or taste

don't care for your attitude

: to have an inclination

would you care for some pie

transitive verb

: to be concerned about or to the extent of

don't care what they say

doesn't care a damn

: 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 happensI couldn't care less what happens

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

Example Sentences

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. She wrote a book about car care. With proper care, the machine should last a decade or more. She is an expert on skin care. She knows a lot about the care and feeding of horses. She looks as if all the cares of the world are on her shoulders. Verb He doesn't care if he gets fired. I care what happens to her. On Valentine's Day, send her flowers to show that you care. I didn't know you cared. I wouldn't care to be in your shoes right now. I'm going for a walk. Would you care to join me? He'll show the photos to anyone who cares to see them. More factors influenced her decision than she cares to admit. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

These issues are exacerbated by entrenched gender roles that often place the bulk of housework and child care on women – who, more educated and financially independent than ever, are increasingly unwilling to bear this unequal burden. —

Jessie Yeung, CNN, 23 Mar. 2023 Along with the salary payments, Balow will be paid more than $22,000 for health-care costs and more than $10,000 in unused vacation and sick time. —

Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2023 Ted Lasso was at the White House on Monday to promote mental health care. —

Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 21 Mar. 2023 Stories will be posted here every month, along with tips and resources to help people cope. COVID-19 grief lingers COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona exacerbates a mental health care crisis. —

The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2023 Medicaid expansion will not improve North Carolina’s health-care system. —

Donald Bryson, National Review, 21 Mar. 2023 What are child-care options if LAUSD schools close for a strike? —

Kenya Romero, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2023 The commission is an independent state agency that develops policies to reduce health care cost growth and improve the quality of patient care. —

Kay Lazar, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Mar. 2023 David Steckel is a home expert at Thumbtack, a service that connects people with home-care professionals. —

Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2023

Verb

Goalie Atticus Kelly has a record of 12-0-2, with a goals-against average of 1.58.Jim Davis/Globe Staff Tolan and his staff care equally for each of the 35 players on the team, not just the 23 that dress, to form a cohesive unit. —

Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2023 Of course, older Americans care deeply about Social Security — and often cast their votes accordingly. —

Catherine Poisson, CNN, 23 Mar. 2023 Sanderson’s readers—loving, legion—care about something else. —

Jason Kehe, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2023 Those volunteers found that 50% support the fence’s removal, 18% oppose it and the remainder are either undecided or don’t care, a Soto-Martinez aide said. —

David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2023 But at the end of the day, none of our customers care about any of that complexity. —

Fortune Editors, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2023 When people care deeply about protecting something, there are different ways that the law can address this. —

IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023 The location is better for travelers looking for a quieter area than the center of Berlin or those who don’t care about being in the middle of the city’s famous club scene. —

Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2023 But spring breakers continue to gather near the border, some of them seemed aware of the dangers ongoing in Mexico while others appeared to not know or even care. —

Peter Aitken, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'care.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing care

Cite this Entry

Style

“Care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/care. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

care

1 of 2 noun

ˈke(ə)r

ˈka(ə)r

: a heavy sense of responsibility

: serious attention

take care in crossing streets

: protection sense 1, supervision

under a doctor's care

: an object of one's care

care

2 of 2 verb

cared; caring

: to feel interest or concern

we care what happens

: to give care

care for the sick

: 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

: 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

: 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.