endeavor
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to attempt; try.
He endeavors to keep things neat in his apartment.
-
Archaic. to attempt to achieve or gain.
noun
-
endeavors
plural
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of endeavor
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English endeveren, from the phrase putten in devoir “to make an effort, assume responsibility”; compare Anglo-French se mettre en deveir. See en- 1, devoir
Explanation
When you endeavor to do something, you try hard to make it happen. A determined student might endeavor to get straight As on her report card. "The ordinary objects of human endeavor — property, outward success, luxury — have always seemed to me contemptible," wrote Albert Einstein. Presumably, NASA had loftier objects in mind when they named one of their space shuttles Endeavour, using the British spelling. The word comes from the Old French phrase mettre en deveir, or "put in duty." As a verb, it's a more impressive word than try and suggests you're doing your darnedest to make something happen.
Vocabulary lists containing endeavor
The Declaration of Independence
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List 8
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His movies "aren't really too worried about their box office total; they're worried about having an artistic endeavor behind" them.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
The brewery created the craft ale in partnership with The Assembly, which also is ProPublica’s journalistic partner in this private school endeavor, so it all felt very symbiotic.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Your imperfect, wonderful life was always a shared endeavor.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
“Never before in this City’s history has a private organization been backstopped by the city of Los Angeles to carry out an endeavor of this size and scale,” Mejia wrote to LA28.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
It is important not to overdo any particular endeavor.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
During a screening of his 1985 documentary, “The Making of Sun City,” at Springsteen’s Center for American Music in Long Branch, N.J., sources shared that the star was heard discussing his upcoming endeavors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
The deal comes as AI data centers gobble up power, leaving companies worried about their ability to secure sufficient energy for future endeavors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
But other endeavors, including a documentary series about polo and a podcast about female founders, made less noise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Going forward, this commission endeavors to uncover the truth so many for too long were blind to.”
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
As in most endeavors I have encountered in my life, “doing it better than anyone” is not a reasonable goal.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
