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

Harrison is a student with a true servant attitude, always taking care of everyone around before himself. —Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

The property offers a culture of pampering with everything taken care of, from dog-sitting and chauffeur services to a sunlit ski suite and a 10,000 square feet panoramic spa staging. —Katharina Kotrba, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

The students get paid a stipend, too ― an important incentive, because many of the youth the program seeks to serve usually face the choice of taking care of their younger siblings or getting a job during the summer, said Executive Director Javier Barrera. —Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Dec. 2024

Bask in good company, have a tasty meal, and take care of yourselves. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2