# care for

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/care-for
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to look after

phrasal verb · CEFR B1

to look after someone who is young, old, or sick and provide what they need.

For teachers: to provide physical or emotional care for a person who is unable to look after themselves independently.

- He stayed at home for two weeks to care for his elderly mother after her surgery.
- The charity provides essential resources for families who care for children with complex physical disabilities at home.

Usage: This is an inseparable phrasal verb; the object always follows 'for'.

Teaching tip: While 'look after' is more common in daily speech, 'care for' is often used in professional or medical contexts.

### 2. to like or want

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to like something, or to want something when someone offers it to you.

For teachers: to have an affection for someone or a preference for something; frequently used in negative constructions or formal interrogatives.

- Would you care for a cup of tea while you wait for your appointment?
- To be honest, I don't much care for modern jazz, as I find the lack of a clear melody quite distracting.

Usage: Often appears in the negative ('I don't care for...') to show a polite dislike.

Teaching tip: In modern English, this is much more common in the negative to mean 'I don't like it' or in polite offers like 'Would you care for...?'

## Examples

- He spends his weekends caring for his elderly mother.
- The charity provides specialized nurses to care for children with long-term illnesses in their own homes.
- While she did not much care for the cold climate, she remained in the northern provinces to care for the family estate.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: distinguish between the 'provide care' sense (active) and the 'like' sense (stative); the latter is often used politely, such as 'Would you care for some tea?'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.