Dic: take pains to do, go to great pains to do

7. PHRASE : V inflects, usu PHR to-inf

If you take pains to do something or go to great pains to do something, you try hard to do it, because you think it is important to do it.

• Social workers went to great pains to acknowledge men's domestic rights.
• I had taken great pains with my appearance.

.... Cobuild