effort

American  

[ef-ert] / ˈɛf ərt /

noun

1. exertion of physical or mental power.

   It will take great effort to achieve victory.

   Synonyms:

   striving, struggle

2. an earnest or strenuous attempt.

   an effort to keep to the schedule.

3. something done by exertion or hard work.

   I thought it would be easy, but it was an effort.

4. an achievement, as in literature or art.

   The painting is one of his finest efforts.

5. the amount of exertion expended for a specified purpose.

   the war effort.

6. Chiefly British.

   1. an organized community drive or achievement.

   2. a fund-raising drive.

7. Mechanics. the force or energy that is applied to a machine for the accomplishment of useful work.

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effort British  

/ ˈɛfət /

noun

1. physical or mental exertion, usually considerable when unqualified

   the rock was moved with effort

2. a determined attempt

   our effort to save him failed

3. achievement; creation

   a great literary effort

4. physics an applied force acting against inertia

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effort Scientific  

/ ĕf′ərt /

1. Force applied against inertia.

2. The force needed by a machine in order to accomplish work on a load.

3. Compare load

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effort Idioms  

1. see all out (effort); last-ditch effort.

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Synonym Usage

Effort, application, endeavor, exertion imply actions directed or force expended toward a definite end. Effort is an expenditure of energy to accomplish some objective: He made an effort to control himself. Application is continuous effort plus careful attention: constant application to duties. Endeavor means a continued and sustained series of efforts to achieve some, often worthy and difficult, end: a constant endeavor to be useful. Exertion is the vigorous and often strenuous expenditure of energy, frequently without an end: out of breath from exertion.

Other Word Forms

• countereffort
  noun
• effortful
  adjective
• overeffort
  noun
• preeffort
  noun

Etymology

Origin of effort

First recorded in 1480–90; from Middle French, from Old French esfort, esforz, derivative of esforcier “to force” ( es- ex- ¹ + forcier force )

Explanation

Effort has to do with how much work you're putting into something. A great achievement can also be considered a great effort. Effort has to do with how hard you're trying. If something is easy, it doesn't take much effort. If it's hard, it takes a lot of effort. Effort is about trying to get something done, even if it doesn't always work out. In sports, coaches don't like losing, but they really hate it when the players aren't giving much effort. There are also large scale, collective efforts, like the effort to cure cancer.

Example Sentences

When the president turned to Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, for an update on that effort, Witkoff replied, “we are definitely pushing.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

"It was a hush email," and "an effort to damage control," says one worker - while another says it made her "furious".

From BBC • May 27, 2026

A luxury EV effort from Sony and Honda, a high-tech vehicle dubbed Afeela, was shut down before it ever hit the road due to Honda paring back its EV offerings.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

In an effort to revitalize stand-alone Watchman procedures, the company plans to deploy dedicated specialists to re-engage doctors and host more medical education events.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

I shook my head, making an effort to smile, but it felt too stretched and tight on my face.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• achievement
• attempt
• battle
• creation
• endeavor
• exercise
• force
• industry
• intention
• power
• production
• push
• resolution
• struggle
• training