"I care deeply": Meaning & Origin + 4 example sentences (2024)

Emotions are a very complicated thing. Most of us don’t really understand how they work. And as such a complicated subject, it would make sense that the language we use to describe them would be a bit tricky.

One example is caring deeply and having feelings. Are these two the same thing? No.

Table of Contents

What does “I care deeply” mean?

To care deeply is when you want what’s best for something or someone else. Whereas having feelings for someone is when a want or need of yours can be met with them.

Today, we’ll be really diving into what each of these phrases means so that you can fully understand what their differences are.

Watch the video: Only 1 percent of our visitors get these 3 grammar questions right...

To care deeply vs having feelings

When you tell someone that you have feelings for them, this is usually meant in a romantic or sexual context.

When meant in a romantic context, these feelings are usually along the lines of love. It could be a way of saying they’re almost but not quite in love. Or it could be a way of saying they aren’t sure if they love you or not, but they’re feeling something.

However, when used in a sexual context, the “feelings” is usually just one feeling, horny.

To tell someone you have feelings for them is a romantic but subtle way of letting them know how you feel.

Why “I care deeply” is not necessarily romantic

However, if you care deeply about someone, there doesn’t need to be any romantic or sexual feelings involved.

It just means that you want what’s best for them, and if they’re happy, that will make you happy too. This will usually be said about someone’s children or their good friends.

To care deeply about someone means you’re not helping them because it benefits you in any way. Sometimes it can even cause you stress, but their well being is more important than your mood. Hence, you do what you need to do anyway.

Both

There will, of course, be some situations where you both care deeply about someone and have feelings for them. Whilst they do mean different things, that’s not to say they can’t occur at the same time.

For example, if you have a spouse, you will have feelings for them. They’ll make you happy, and probably cause physical feelings too. But you also care about them, as you’ll be willing to cause discomfort to yourself, to benefit the person you love.

In fact, most relationships are made up of sacrifices that might negatively impact you, but you choose to make anyway.

Relationships

I would argue that to be in a healthy romantic relationship, you need to have feelings for them, and care for them.

If you have feelings but don’t care about them, you’re not treating them like someone should be treated, but you’re just using them. I’m not saying you should never think about what you want in a relationship. Still, for a relationship to be successful, there will be times when you need to put your own emotions aside and focus on what’s best for your significant other.

A relationship with caring is just a long one-night stand.

Inanimate Objects

It’s not the people we can care deeply about.

Sometimes, we can have such a strong emotional attachment to an inanimate object that it feels as though they have a soul.

If you need to sell a family home, you might say “I care deeply about this house, but I can’t afford the repairs”.

When talking about your country, you might say “I care deeply about my country, so I’m happy to pay a little bit more tax”.

Even though these things are not alive, we’re still willing to do what’s best for them.

Origin of the phrase “I care deeply”

Care is one of the words in the English language with long etymological roots. Before it was the English “care”, it was the Old English “Carian”, which meant to be anxious or feel concerned.

Before that, it was the proto-Germanic Karo to mean grief. And before that, the Old High German Charon, which meant to complain.

And finally, at the very start, it was Gar (to cry out) in the proto-indo-European language.

The concept of caring has therefore been a part of our culture for a long time. Likely ever since we lived in caves. The idea of compassion for others is part of human nature.

Feelings vs Emotions

Sometimes, we might use the words “feelings” and “emotions” interchangeably. And not many people outside of psychology know this, but feelings about emotions are not the same thing.

The best way to describe the difference is for you to imagine a tree. Within this tree there are going to be branches, these are general emotions such as “Joy” “Anger” “Sadness”.

But upon each of these branches, there are going to be leaves. These leaves are the feelings that we would associate with each emotion. For example, on the “Joy” branch, you might find excitement, zen, and relief.

Upon the anger branch, you might find annoyance, rage, and confusion.

Can they be used interchangeably?

Usually, on the “One thing vs another thing” articles on this website, it doesn’t matter if you use these two words interchangeably. But these two should never be used in place of one another.

Having feelings for someone and caring deeply for them are not the same thing. You wouldn’t say that you have feelings for your best friend, that would be really weird.

Having feelings is romantic or sexual, whereas caring deeply is not. Misusing these phrases can make you say something that you don’t mean.

Conclusion

Caring deeply for someone and having feelings for them are not the same thing, even if there could be a few similarities.

You will have feelings for a romantic partner or someone you wish to get into your bed. But you can care deeply for anyone and everyone, even inanimate objects.

When you’re in a relationship, you should both care deeply and have feelings for that person, as this means you view them in a grown-up way, but you don’t see them as a toy.

And unlike some of the other words and phrases on this website, you can’t use these two interchangeably.

"I care deeply": Meaning & Origin + 4 example sentences (2024)

FAQs

What do I care deeply about? ›

Here are 10 areas that are well worth caring about if you want to truly succeed.
  • Care about how you treat others. ...
  • Care about your personal growth. ...
  • Care about your goals. ...
  • Care about scaring yourself. ...
  • Care about how you spend your time. ...
  • Care about your thoughts. ...
  • Care about doing your best. ...
  • Care about where you are.
Dec 11, 2015

What do I care meaning? ›

What do I care? is a dismissive way of saying that you don't care at all. It means, basically, "Why would I care at all?" What do I care? is very common. Use it when you really don't care. B.

Is caring deeply the same as love? ›

Care is a concern or even an interest you feel towards anyone you prefer in your life. Moreover, love is often associated with an intense feeling felt towards someone in the opposite sex (might be of the same sex as well), while care, on the other hand, is mostly associated with friendship and concern.

Why would I care meaning? ›

Because asking "Why should I care?" means that you actually care because you want a reason or justification for your not caring. So you might as well give up now.

What does I care about you mean? ›

care about (someone or something)

To have a strong feeling of love or affection for someone or something; to cherish someone or something.

How do you tell someone you care about them deeply? ›

How to tell someone you love them without saying, “I love you”
  1. My life is enriched by your presence in it.
  2. I'm significantly better off for having met you.
  3. You make me want to be better than I am.
  4. I'd be sad if you weren't around.
  5. You're important to me, and I don't take knowing you for granted.
Jun 13, 2021

What is an example of care? ›

An example of care is someone paying special attention to how they are driving in unfavorable weather. An example of care is someone leaving their children to be watched over by another. Attentive assistance or treatment to those in need.

Do I look like I care meaning? ›

It means, "I don't care about it, and you should have figured it out by my action/behavior."

How do you use care in a sentence? ›

How to use Care in a sentence
  1. He had been taking care of her for nearly a year now. 480. ...
  2. We'll take care of them together. 463. ...
  3. They both care a lot. ...
  4. I'll take care of this. ...
  5. I'll take care of the others if you want to watch the kids. ...
  6. I will take care of Alex. ...
  7. I can take care of myself. ...
  8. He would take care of their needs.

How do you know if he cares deeply? ›

30 signs he cares deeply about you
  • He expresses his appreciation. ...
  • He's honest with you. ...
  • You feel important when you're together. ...
  • He respects your boundaries. ...
  • He plans surprises. ...
  • You make him laugh. ...
  • He doesn't mind making sacrifices. ...
  • He knows how to listen.
May 10, 2021

What it means to care for someone? ›

1 : to do the things that are needed to help and protect (a person or animal) : look after (someone or something) She cares for elderly patients. Who is caring for your son while you are at work? 2 : to feel affection for (someone) I got the feeling he never really cared for me.

What does love deeply mean? ›

a an intense emotion of affection, warmth, fondness, and regard towards a person or thing.

Do you care for me meaning? ›

To "care for" someone means that you love them. This may be a romantic feeling or more of a family/friend feeling.

Why should I care for others? ›

However, recent studies show that caring for others is good for us. It's beneficial to our well-being. Giving support to others out of choice leads to “reduced stress, increased happiness, and an increased sense of social connectedness”.

Do you care about meaning? ›

To have a strong feeling of love or affection for someone or something; to cherish someone or something.

How do you say I care words? ›

caring
  1. attentive,
  2. beneficent,
  3. benevolent,
  4. benignant,
  5. compassionate,
  6. concerned,
  7. considerate,
  8. cordial,

When he says I care for you meaning? ›

Moreover, it means that he vested interest in you. A guy saying that he cares for you is normally a positive sign in a relationship. It also means that there is some room to grow in the relationship.

What does i dont care mean? ›

Phrase. I don't care. Indicates that the speaker has no interest or emotional investment in the topic at hand.

How do I show someone I care? ›

Here's the top 50 in full:
  1. Cooking them their favourite meal.
  2. Making a cup of tea without being asked.
  3. Asking if they're OK.
  4. A spontaneous hug.
  5. Giving a compliment.
  6. Texting them to see how they are.
  7. Saying thank-you for something.
  8. Listening to them when they need to offload.
Nov 16, 2016

How do you tell someone you love them deeply? ›

Expressing Deep Love in Words
  1. I cherish you.
  2. I want a lifetime with you.
  3. I adore you.
  4. I am better because of you.
  5. I need you by my side.
  6. I cannot stop thinking about you.
  7. My love for you is unconditional and eternal.
  8. All of the good in my life is because of you.

What are the 7 care values? ›

Terms in this set (7)
  • Maintaining Confidentiality. ...
  • Empowering And Promoting Independence. ...
  • Respect. ...
  • Effective Communication. ...
  • Preserving Dignity. ...
  • Safeguarding And Duty of care. ...
  • Promoting Anti-discriminatory practices.

What are the 5 principles of care? ›

These five principles are safety, dignity, independence, privacy, and communication. Nurse assistants keep these five principles in mind as they perform all of their duties and actions for the patients in their care.

What are the 5 duties of care? ›

Duty to Care is actually an umbrella term that encompasses the following areas: Inclusion, Diversity, Mental Health, Well-being and Safeguarding. All the elements support and complement each other.

What is for all I care? ›

Definition of for all (someone) cares

informal. —used to say that someone does not care at all about something For all I care, he can leave today.

How do you use for all I care in a sentence? ›

(1) You can go right now for all I care. (2) He can go hang for all I care. (3) You could be the Queen of England, for all I care - you're not coming in here without a ticket. (4) You can do what you like, for all I care.

Do you even care meaning? ›

“Lo ichpat li” — I don't care — is a very useful expression. It is used for all things caring, like: “Do you even care?” and “You don't care about me?” It is especially useful with drama queens of all sorts.

How can I use make in a sentence? ›

[M] [T] I'm going to make a cake for Mary's birthday. [M] [T] He tried to make his wife happy, but couldn't. [M] [T] I asked her to make four copies of the letter. [M] [T] I checked to make sure that he was still alive.

Do you care for meaning? ›

A very polite way of asking if someone would like to have something.

Is take care a sentence? ›

Take-care-of sentence example. I can take care of myself. I'll take care of the others if you want to watch the kids. We'll take care of them together.

Does take care mean I love you? ›

TC means "Take Care." It is often used as a substitute for a stronger term of affection such as "love you" when the stronger term would be inappropriate (e.g., between couples who were romantically connected or who can't be).

What if a girl cares about you? ›

When a woman cares about you, she will not miss the chance to be alone with you. She will smile a lot and try to attract your attention. This is so obvious that average intelligence and observation are enough to notice her interest. But sometimes it happens that a woman knows how to restrain herself.

How do you know someone cares about you? ›

They will provide you with closure.
  • They are in tune with your mood and behavioral fluctuations. ...
  • They take care of you, even in the smallest ways. ...
  • They give you space when you need it. ...
  • They show their love for you without ever having to say it. ...
  • They forgive you. ...
  • They will defend you behind your back.

Why is care important? ›

Giving quality patient care can absolutely have an effect on health outcomes. It contributes to a more positive patient recovery experience and can improve the physical and mental quality of life for people with serious illnesses, such as cancer.

What is full care? ›

CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, formerly Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects.

How can you define love in 5 words? ›

53 People Describe What Love Is In Exactly Five Words
  • “Thinking as 'we' not 'me. '”
  • “Spooning on a Sunday morning.”
  • “When sex becomes actual lovemaking.”
  • “Tackling the world as two.”
  • “Holding hands and feeling complete.”
  • “Wiping away his eye crust.”
  • “When commitment is a privilege.”
  • “Bubble baths as a couple.”
Mar 11, 2016

What are the 3 kinds of love? ›

The three loves that she came up with are the following: Lust, Passion, and Commitment. These three loves occur in different parts of the brain and occur independently from each other. For instance, you can be “in lust” with someone but have no perceived commitment to them (e.g., one night stands).

What is the deepest kind of love? ›

Philia (deep friendship)

Philia is the love that develops over a deep, long-lasting friendship. It's platonic, but nevertheless, you feel very close to those you have philia toward and can confide in them, trust them, and respect them on a very personal level.

Does care mean love? ›

Care refers to a feeling of concern or interest or the act of attending to someone or something. Love, on the other hand, bears broader meaning. It could be familial or storge, romantic or eros, brotherly or agape, or platonic or philia.

What does I still care mean? ›

Usually, it means that your ex cares about you genuinely as a person - or even in a semi-romantic sense, but that they don't see a future with you as a relationship partner. Her.

Do take care of yourself meaning? ›

Taking care of yourself means compassionately accepting yourself for who you are instead of burning yourself out trying to be everything to everyone all the time. It's living your life in a way that doesn't leave you needing to check out or take a break just so you can have a bath, read a book, or sip tea.

Why is self-care important? ›

Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy, and more.

How can I take good care of myself? ›

Some tips for self-care include:
  1. Live Healthy, eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and avoid drugs and alcohol. ...
  2. Practice good hygiene. ...
  3. See friends to build your sense of belonging. ...
  4. Try to do something you enjoy every day.

Would you care to meaning? ›

would you care to (do something)? A very polite way of asking if someone would like to do something.

What care means in a relationship? ›

adjective. If someone is caring, they are affectionate, helpful, and sympathetic.

Why do I care about others so much? ›

As mentioned above, a lot of the root causes of caring too much comes from your inability to set boundaries in general. Boundaries are how you show respect to others, but more specifically to yourself. Without boundaries, people will constantly be pushing you around.

Why do I care so much about other peoples feelings? ›

Some people, known as empaths, have such high empathy that they seem to take on the feelings of others. If you're an empath, you might find yourself absorbing the emotions of those around you. When they experience joy, you get caught up in their happiness.

Why should I care about myself? ›

Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy, and more.

How do you become a caring person? ›

6 Ways to Show You Care
  1. Do It, Don't Say It.
  2. Refuse to Argue and Pick Your Battles.
  3. Apologize Often, Even If You're Not Wrong.
  4. Do Something Unexpected.
  5. Sharing is Caring.
  6. Wake Every Morning with An Appreciation for The Other Person.

What does it mean to care for someone? ›

1 : to do the things that are needed to help and protect (a person or animal) : look after (someone or something) She cares for elderly patients. Who is caring for your son while you are at work? 2 : to feel affection for (someone) I got the feeling he never really cared for me.

Why do I feel emotions so deeply? ›

Feeling heightened emotions or like you're unable to control your emotions can come down to diet choices, genetics, or stress. It can also be due to an underlying health condition, such as depression or hormones.

Should I care about people's feelings? ›

Having empathy is very useful as it often helps to understand others so we can help or deceive them, but sometimes we need to be able to switch off our empathetic feelings to protect our own lives, and those of others.

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