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
4
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
In kitchens, courtyards, bedrooms and on the streets, women shared jokes, secrets, gestures of care and moments of freedom. Photovogue, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026 The government created a national preventive care program decades ago and gave every citizen a right to regular checkups, which gave clinics a reason to buy expensive machines, which brought the volume that pays for the expensive machines. Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
Users suing are hoping to force Meta to pay out damages, including potentially punitive damages, to every person in the US who bought smart glasses under the allegedly false premise that Meta cared about user privacy. Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 In many cases, the robot tail wags the living dog by tricking it—tricking us—into caring about obscure metrics, then gamifying the process of improving them. Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for care
Recent Examples of Synonyms for care
Noun
  • The Moon enters Aries and your 10th House of Career, Reputation, and Responsibility, putting attention on your public role, work, leadership, or visible commitments.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Finally, markets this week paid close attention to news of the passing of former Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan.
    , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Other areas of concern are the library system's self-check-out kiosks, instances in which minor teenagers handle materials while working or volunteering at a branch, and platforms for loaning electronic materials, Adams said.
    Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Clever and snappy, fresh and silly, a winning combination of classic Looney Tunes gags and contemporary concerns (the press notes mention many influences including, no joke, The Insider).
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • This carefulness is clearly strategic.
    Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
  • There was no carefulness in it.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • Solar attracted the most investment among renewable energy subsectors during the first six months of the year as countries rush to build capacity as worries grow that global wars will continue squeezing energy supplies.
    Eugenia Perozo, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Research shows, however, that the public is always a little bit concerned about corruption, and that these worries often do not correspond with particular actions by politicians.
    Robert Boatright, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Booking information from Clark County Detention Center in Nevada shows Hughes in custody with no bail, with a hearing before a judge scheduled for Thursday morning.
    Dennis Romero, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Guzman Soto was about a half mile from his home in the West Bronx when he was taken into custody, cops said.
    Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • But a group of local Jewish organizations object to his stewardship of a key cultural venue in the city.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Since Jerry Buss built the Lakers into the NBA’s most glamorous franchise during four decades of stewardship, the team will now have a third controlling owner in as many years.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Another win was with a European car maker that replaced its next-gen Endpoint Detection and Response, legacy SIEM, and legacy vulnerability management product with an eight-figure net-new Falcon Flex.
    Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Florida is launching a new initiative to encourage more students to choose careers in emergency management, which the governor announced a week after a shakeup in leadership at the state’s Department of Emergency Management.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • To that end, here are the best rom-coms based on Shakespeare plays to watch—or rewatch—now.
    Jessica Barrett, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2026
  • If that were to happen, the SEC's next move is the one to watch.
    Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Care.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/care. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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