endeavour

British  

/ ɪnˈdɛvə /

verb

1. to try (to do something)

---

noun

1. an effort to do or attain something

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• endeavourer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of endeavour

C14: endeveren , from _en- ¹ + -deveren from dever duty, from Old French deveir; see _devoirs

Explanation

To endeavour is to strive for something. The endeavour itself is the thing you're striving for, the enterprise or undertaking. It's a primarily British spelling of the word. The Middle English root of endeavour means to "put oneself in" or "do one's utmost," so if you endeavour to do something, you do it with earnestness and a fair amount of effort. Americans usually spell the word endeavor, but NASA named one of its space shuttles the Endeavour. Why the extra "u"? NASA was honoring the HMS Endeavour, the first ship ever used by the British explorer Captain James Cook.

Example Sentences

Burnham would need to win a parliamentary by-election and become an MP to enter a Labour leadership contest, a complicated endeavour fraught with risk and uncertainty.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

The Charlton man provides physicality and endeavour and will pop up with the odd goal here and there - his record of 10 in 49 caps is not to be sniffed at.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

“A huge part of any mining endeavour is the cost of energy, so oil and gas surges will always hurt mining stocks,” Ash said.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Accepting the best ensemble prize, his co-star Delroy Lindo said making Sinners had been an "incredible journey", adding: "Every single day we brought ourselves, our hearts, our souls, to this endeavour."

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

At dusk the drums of calamity began; their grave, throbbing rhythm came clearly through the night, throughout the night, each beat, each tattoo, echoing the mighty impotence of our human endeavour.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya