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

When dividing her attention between taking care of her mom and talking to the doctors became too overwhelming, Paul decided to take a walk through the hospital. —Laura Kwerel, NPR, 19 June 2024

How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies follows a young man, M, who moves in to take care of his terminally-ill grandmother in a bid to win her inheritance. —Sara Merican, Deadline, 19 June 2024

When the novel opens in the wake of the covid pandemic, Sam and Elena are stuck in dead-end jobs and struggling to take care of their dying mother. —Ron Charles, Washington Post, 18 June 2024

Bone health, functional health, and frailty How can older women maintain mobility and preserve their ability to take care of themselves? —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Well, 18 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2