CARE Synonyms: 232 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

care 1 of 2

noun

ˈker

Definition of care

as in attention

strict attentiveness to what one is doing reading the report with more care the second time, she detected several errors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in carefulness

a close attentiveness to avoiding danger take care while crossing the street

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in worry

an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble on vacation, without a care in the world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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as in stewardship

the duty or function of watching or guarding for the sake of proper direction or control you'll have care of the project from its beginning to its completion

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in management

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something she stepped up and took over the care of the bank after her father retired

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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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

Caregivers like Sherwood report mass burnout, financial strain and deterioration of their own physical and mental health from the stress of providing constant care. — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 In zoos and other human-care settings, some species appear to form long-lasting relationships with animals of other species. — Cyril Grueter, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2026

Verb

But the way they’re blended into companies’ tools also highlights consumers’ growing inability to assess whether their personal discussions with a brand’s chatbot are with AI made in China or in the US — a distinction Americans appear to care about. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026 With his video, Andert was able to do something that incremental reporting by local news outlets could not — get people to care. — Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for care

Recent Examples of Synonyms for care

Noun

Start with the practical fix that frees attention for what matters next.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
The public spotlight on what happened may have grown less intense, but the attention will again be turned to ground zero as people gather to read names and remember.

— Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of attention

Noun

The elephant deaths and disputes about the cause have intensified concerns over growing human-wildlife conflict in the region due to expanding agricultural activities near Amboseli park.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
For some observers, the public nature of the event raised concerns.

— Abby Dodge, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of concern

Noun

But the worry is that hackers could cause greater disruptions, such as a surge in water pressure that could burst pipes and endanger critical facilities, including hospitals, Corman said.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
As new-ish CBS News chieftain Bari Weiss looks poised to rule over CNN too, there are worries in Blue State and MSM circles about the fate of the cable newser — a thorn in Donald Trump‘s paw — if the ParaBros deal closes.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of worry

Noun

The focus is widening to include the financial stewardship of the organizations receiving those dollars, and whether nonprofit boards are exercising sufficient oversight over the executives entrusted to spend them.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2026
Strong governance, transparency, and meticulous record-keeping are crucial for maintaining tax-exempt status and ensuring the collection's long-term stewardship.

— Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of stewardship

Noun

Political scientist Sandra Borda argued that the difficulties in aid management are related to the tense political transition between the current and previous administrations, which lacked a formal handover.

— Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Conventional time-management advice, Schore argues, focuses almost exclusively on visible behaviors—meetings, email volume, scheduling techniques and collaboration practices.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of management

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“Care.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/care. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of care

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Synonyms of care

noun

verb

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Is it 'could' or 'couldn't care less'?

Cite this Entry

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'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

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The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes