endeavor

especially British, en·deav·our

[en-dev-er]

verb (used without object)

1. to exert oneself to do or effect something; make an effort; strive.

   We must constantly endeavor if we are to succeed.

verb (used with object)

1. to attempt; try.

   He endeavors to keep things neat in his apartment.

2. Archaic.,  to attempt to achieve or gain.

noun

1. a strenuous effort; attempt.

Other Word Forms

• endeavorer noun
• preendeavor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of endeavor¹

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

Synonym Study

See try. See effort.

Example Sentences

Ackman himself has a history of pushing the envelope with novel investment ideas and endeavors, not all of which go according to plan.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Matthiessen considered his nonfiction career a sidelight to his real literary endeavors.

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Intuit has been implementing AI into its products, including TurboTax and Credit Karma, to improve customer experiences, and it’s investing more money into those endeavors.

Read more on Barron's

“I really like just the opportunity to make a difference for myself,” Plant says about the breadth of his creative endeavors.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

However, it has been less successful in this endeavor than other tech giants that have sought to integrate AI into their product portfolios.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• aim 
• effort 
• enterprise 
• struggle 
• undertaking 
• venture