take care

idiomatic phrase

1

: to be careful or watchful : to exercise caution or prudence

Because fish is more delicate than beef, take care when pounding it thin.

—Sam Gugino

Patients also should take care in storing their drugs because heat exposure could affect their efficacy, [Aaron] Bernstein says.

—Marlene Cimons

—often used informally to express good wishes when parting, at the end of a message, etc.

I'll see you next week. Take care!

2

: to give particular attention to doing or not doing something

When he had finished writing, Cluny pushed the parchment under his pillow, taking care to leave just a small corner of it jutting out.

—Brian Jacques

In this land of ritual, Westerners should take care to inform themselves of protocol.

—Jeff Morgan

Open oysters carefully just before they are required, taking care not to spill the liquor in their deep shells.

—Elizabeth Craig

see also take care of

Examples of take care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Argentinian singer-songwriter Noel Schajris from the duo Sin Bandera and Nicaraguan singer-songwriter Hernaldo Zúñiga took care of the night's music. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025

In the real world, Alfre Woodard can take care of herself. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025

Maybe masculinity still does mean taking care of and protecting your partner, being the breadwinner and remaining stoic all the same. —Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025

Roxanne works full time as a nurse, specializing in anti-aging and helping women over 50 take care of their bodies. —Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for take care

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware