TAKE PAINS (taken pains, takes pains, taking pains, took pains)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: taken pains    , takes pains    , taking pains    , took pains   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does take pains mean? 

• TAKE PAINS (verb)
  The verb TAKE PAINS has 1 sense:

1. try very hard to do something

  Familiarity information: TAKE PAINS used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TAKE PAINS (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Try very hard to do something

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

be at pains; take pains

Hypernyms (to "take pains" is one way to...):

endeavor; endeavour; strive (attempt by employing effort)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

 Context examples 

Mrs. Dashwood now took pains to get acquainted with him.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Elizabeth had the satisfaction of seeing her father taking pains to get acquainted with him; and Mr. Bennet soon assured her that he was rising every hour in his esteem.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Of course they took pains not to light on his head and get the pins in their feet.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

I knew nothing of the minutiæ of ropes and rigging, of the trimming and setting of sails; but the sailors took pains to put me to rights,—Louis proving an especially good teacher,—and I had little trouble with those under me.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

None: as I have taken pains to prove: I caused a rumour to reach her that my fortune was not a third of what was supposed, and after that I presented myself to see the result; it was coldness both from her and her mother.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

If Elizabeth and her father did not deceive themselves, had been taking much pains to seek the acquaintance, and proclaim the value of the connection, as he had formerly taken pains to shew neglect.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Mrs. Allen used to take pains, year after year, to make me like them; but I never could, till I saw them the other day in Milsom Street; I am naturally indifferent about flowers.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

The first, was his walking with her apart from the others, in the lime-walk at Donwell, where they had been walking some time before Emma came, and he had taken pains (as she was convinced) to draw her from the rest to himself—and at first, he had talked to her in a more particular way than he had ever done before, in a very particular way indeed!—(Harriet could not recall it without a blush.) He seemed to be almost asking her, whether her affections were engaged.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

It was so notorious in the house, that the masters and head-boys took pains to cut these marauders off at angles, and to get out of windows, and turn them out of the courtyard, before they could make the Doctor aware of their presence; which was sometimes happily effected within a few yards of him, without his knowing anything of the matter, as he jogged to and fro.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He is highly esteemed by all the family at the park, and I never see him myself without taking pains to converse with him.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)