effort

[ ef-ert ]

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.

effort

/ 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

effort

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈeffortful, adjective

Other Words From

• counter·effort noun
• over·effort noun
• pre·effort noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of effort¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of effort¹

C15: from Old French esfort, from esforcier to force, ultimately from Latin fortis strong; see force ¹

Idioms and Phrases

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

That’s a view that most nonreligious Americans reject, which is likely a part of the reason that their support for Biden is so high, despite the campaign’s minimal outreach efforts.

From FiveThirtyEight

The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency.

From Washington Post

This was part of a larger effort by Kroc and former McDonald’s chairman Fred Turner to identify entrepreneurs who were commercially minded and driven to succeed.

From Fortune

A who’s who of celebrities plans to boycott Instagram tomorrow in an effort to pressure its parent company, Facebook to do a better job of controlling violence, racism, and hate across its services.

From Fortune

My Bay Area neighborhood, on the other hand, has benefited from consistent investment in efforts to defend it against the ravages of climate change.

From ProPublica

As part of that effort, Said received weapons training for months, sources told The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

The effort to sterilize his image first began when Epstein hired Los Angeles-based spin doctors Sitrick Co.

From The Daily Beast

The U.S. military just unveiled a new effort to get Iraqis ready to battle ISIS.

From The Daily Beast

Where the U.S. once sought to train several divisions worth, the latest effort is for just 3,000 troops.

From The Daily Beast

Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said the decline was a result of an effort to decrease gang violence.

From The Daily Beast

The remaining one struggled for another half-minute, and flared up in one last, desperate effort.

From Project Gutenberg

He had seen the act committed, he felt sure but had made no effort whatever to stop the thief.

From Project Gutenberg

I shall therefore, in my effort to prove the Bible fallible, quote almost wholly from Christian critics.

From Project Gutenberg

To make the effort of articulation a vital impulse in response to a mental concept,—this is the object sought.

From Project Gutenberg

Make a personal appeal to your men and Godley's to make a supreme effort to hold their ground.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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