take (great) pains

phrase

: to try hard (to do something)
He took (great) pains to explain the situation to us.

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Cite this Entry

“Take (great) pains.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20%28great%29%20pains. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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