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

All the while, of course, Costello is observing everyone around him, making sure everything is running smoothly, the money is coming in and people are taken care of. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2025

Henrichs is appreciative of those who have taken care of him. —Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025

The talk will include information on creating the best environment for your houseplants, how to choose those best for your home, and how to take care of them. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025

Following the pandemic years, the cost to take care of pets skyrocketed. —Edwin Sayres, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 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