care 1 of 2

Definition of carenext
1
2
as in concern
attention accompanied by protectiveness and responsibility that's an extremely valuable violin, so handle it with care

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
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5
as in custody
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something while you're under my care, you'll do as you're told

Synonyms & Similar Words

6
7

care

2 of 2

verb

as in to watch
to have an interest or concern for a teacher who cares what happens to her students long after they leave her classroom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word care distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of care are anxiety, concern, solicitude, and worry. While all these words 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

When can anxiety be used instead of care?

The meanings of anxiety and care largely overlap; however, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

When might concern be a better fit than care?

While in some cases nearly identical to care, concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When would solicitude be a good substitute for care?

Although the words solicitude and care have much in common, solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

Where would worry be a reasonable alternative to care?

The words worry and care are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of care
Noun
This is why barrier care is not just a trend or a softer corner of skincare. Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 Versatility is also central to the clean hair-care brand’s latest offering. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 June 2026
Verb
That was a deep observation of the dilemma of love and care globally. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 June 2026 By Kristy Alpert The New York Times Like many 19-year-olds of her generation, Makai Wallace, from South Jordan, Utah, cares deeply about her friends, her skin care routine and staying healthy. The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for care
Recent Examples of Synonyms for care
Noun
  • If Muntadas’s work expands the spectacle of self-exploitation to its wider social implications, Lord’s chapter in Media Hostages, Future Language, redirects this attention to the uninterested spectators passing by the billboard on the road.
    Jonathan Odden, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday reiterated warnings of a possible massive Russian strike and urged residents to pay special attention to air raid alerts.
    Reuters, NBC news, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Analysts have previously expressed concern that US stocks of the interceptors have been depleted by the Iran conflict as well as by last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, and noted that manufacturing more takes time.
    Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
  • Those concerns that chopped 30% off cyber stocks earlier this year could not have been more wrong, as Jim Cramer had said all along.
    Zev Fima, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Noun
  • There was no carefulness in it.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 1 May 2026
  • Organizations can benefit by valuing carefulness and concentration not as an obligation, but as a fundamental pillar of success.
    Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in the loss but downplayed any worries about the team’s struggles after the game.
    Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
  • Stocks also came under pressure on Middle East worries.
    Lee Ying Shan,Justina Lee, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Noun
  • Machado, 45, remains in custody on 26 charges, including seven counts of murder and multiple charges involving the possession of explosive or destructive devices.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
  • Reyes was taken into custody by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and turned over to the FBI for questioning, according to the documents.
    Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Environmental stewardship of the 350,000-acre Grumeti Reserve has amplified viable habitat for Serengeti’s wildlife and nurtured population recoveries of species like elephant and buffalo.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • As for Wrangler’s footwear offering, Higgins is excited for the brand’s first product under the stewardship of Genesco Brands Group to hit stores this fall.
    Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the agency had $500 million for forest management and fire prevention that was not directly tied to cap-and-invest or the bond — up from about $65 million two decades prior.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
  • Her intellectual property and brand management company, TAS Rights Management, filed trademark applications covering short audio clips of her voice and her visual likeness.
    Daryl Lim, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • And Wrobleski nodded, as if in acceptance, before turning to watch the ball fly over the wall in center field for a solo homer.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
  • As Toomey looked for a seat to watch the race that day at Balboa Stadium, he was spotted by his old cross-country coach at Palo Alto High School, Forrest Jamieson.
    Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 May 2026

Cite this Entry

“Care.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/care. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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