take great pains
To take pains (try hard) to an especially high degree; (loosely) to take pains.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She takes great pains to keep her house clean.”
“The chef takes great pains to source fresh ingredients for every meal he prepares.”
“The author took great pains to ensure that every historical detail in her novel remained accurate to the period.”
- 01
a great deal
Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.
- 02
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 03
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 04
forget to take one's medication this morning
To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.
- 05
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 06
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 07
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 08
go great guns
To perform particularly well; to be particularly successful.
Last updated August 10, 2026