care for

phrasal verb

cared for; caring for; cares for

1

: to do the things that are needed to help and protect (a person or animal) : look after (someone or something)

She cares for elderly patients.

Who is caring for your son while you are at work?

2

: to feel affection for (someone)

I got the feeling he never really cared for me.

3

somewhat formal : to like or enjoy (something)

—often used in negative statements

I don't care for jelly beans.

I don't care for your tone of voice.

4

somewhat formal : to want (something)

Would you care for some pie?

Examples of care for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Another child care category known as license-exempt was created by the state to informalize child care by allowing relatives and family friends to care for kids and get paid through the state child care subsidy, while maintaining basic safety standards, Gay said. —Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 15 Nov. 2025

According to The Animal Foundation’s website, the nonprofit organization runs one of the highest-volume, single-site animal shelters in the country, which cares for more than 20,000 animals every year through sheltering, adoption, veterinary care and community support programs. —Sean Mandell, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025

Sujatha Gidla on caring for her mother. —Literary Hub, 15 Nov. 2025

But caring for people with the disease costs far more — hundreds of billions of dollars a year. —Jon Hamilton, NPR, 15 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for care for

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore