Caring means feeling concern for someone or something and showing it through your actions. When you're caring, you notice when others need help and you do something about it: maybe your friend seems sad, so you sit with them at lunch, or you see your little brother struggling with his backpack, so you help him carry it.

A caring person pays attention. They notice the small things: when someone's having a hard day, when a pet needs fresh water, or when a teammate feels left out. But noticing isn't enough. Caring means following through: checking on a sick neighbor, watering plants while a friend's family is on vacation, or making sure everyone gets included in a game at recess.

The word can also describe whether something matters to you. If you don't care about baseball, you might skip watching the World Series. If you do care about animals, you might spend your free time reading about marine biology or volunteering at a shelter.

People sometimes use caring to describe actions that show thoughtfulness: “That was a very caring thing to do” or “She gave me such a caring look when I was upset.” The word captures both the feeling of concern and the actions that demonstrate it.

As a verb, care means to feel concern or interest: you care about your friends, and you care what happens to them.