To feel that something or someone is important and matters to you
To feel that something or someone is important to you — to have feelings about them
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To feel that a person matters to you and their wellbeing is important
"She could tell he genuinely cared about his students and went beyond what was required."
The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation. Who cares about how long you live if you never do anything with it?
— Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord (1974)
To consider an issue, topic, or value important and worthy of attention
"He doesn't care about what people think of him — he just does what he believes is right."
A stative verb — not used in continuous tenses in standard English. Very common in both positive and negative forms ('I don't care about money'). Often signals personal values and priorities.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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