care */*/*/

I UK [keə(r)] / US [ker] noun
Word forms "care":
singular care plural cares

1) [uncountable] effort and attention

I can see that a lot of care has gone into your work.

with care:

The label on the box said "Handle with care".

great/special/extra care:

He was choosing his words with great care.

exercise care formal:

The police must exercise more care in the arrest of young offenders.

reasonable/due care legal:

The employer had failed to exercise reasonable care.

2)

a) [uncountable] the activity, skill, or profession of looking after someone who needs help or protection

Some of the injured were in need of hospital care.

The unit provides specialist medical care for premature babies.

The elderly residents receive an excellent standard of care and treatment.

I left him in your care – you should have watched him!

care of:

a technique used in the care of mental patients

b) in the UK, the system in which local government looks after children whose parents are either dead or not able to look after them themselves

in care:

She spent 12 years in care.

take someone into care:

Her two children were taken into care.

See:

care in the community

3) [uncountable] the use of skill and effort to keep something in good condition

advice on the proper care of your new car

a good skin-care routine

4) [countable/uncountable] mainly literary a worry about someone or something

•

- care of

- have a care

- not have a care in the world

- take care

- take care of

II UK [keə(r)] / US [ker] verb [intransitive/transitive]
Word forms "care":
present tense I/you/we/they care he/she/it cares present participle caring past tense cared past participle cared

1) [never progressive] to be interested in someone and want them to be well and happy

I wish I had someone who cared.

Only Ed cared enough to come and talk to her.

care about:

I don't think she cares about him at all.

2) to be interested in something and feel strongly that it is important

care about:

No one seemed to care about her feelings.

care what/why etc:

Of course I care what happens to the school!

genuinely care:

He wasn't lying – he genuinely didn't care whether he passed his exams or not.

care deeply/passionately:

They cared passionately about the environment.

not care either way/one way or the other (= not worry about what is decided):

Our mother said she didn't care either way, as long as we were all happy.

neither know nor care:

He neither knew nor cared what she meant by that remark.

•

any person/thing you care to name/mention — anyone or anything at all, used especially in comparisons

It was definitely hotter than any place in the tropics you'd care to mention.

someone couldn't care less= what does someone care? spoken — as if someone cares used for emphasizing that someone thinks something is unimportant. These phrases usually show that the speaker is angry or upset

I couldn't care less how you do it – just do it.

As if she cares whether he's happy or not!

What do the bus company care if you have to wait for three hours?

more/longer etc than someone cares to remember/admit/mention — used for saying that something has been happening for a long time or very much

I've been doing this job for more years than I care to remember.

He had hurt her more than she cared to admit.

not care for someone/something — formal to not like someone or something

I don't much care for chocolate.

perhaps someone would care to do something/would someone care to do something? — spoken used for asking someone to do something, in a way that shows that you are angry or upset

Perhaps one of you would care to explain this to me?

Would someone care to tell us just what is going on here?

who cares? — spoken used for saying that you do not think something is important and that you are not worried about it

"I don't know. Who cares?"

I mean, really, who cares whether he lied or not?

- be past caring

- for all someone cares

- not care to do something

- see if I care

- would you care for something

- would you care to do something

Phrasal verbs:

- care for