attempt
Americanverb (used with object)
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attempts,
present (3rd person singular)
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attempted,
past participle, past
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attempting
present participle
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to make an effort at; try; undertake; seek.
to attempt an impossible task; to attempt to walk six miles.
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Archaic. to attack; move against in a hostile manner.
to attempt a person's life.
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Archaic. to tempt.
verb
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to make an effort (to do something) or to achieve (something); try
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to try to surmount (an obstacle)
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to try to climb
they will attempt the north wall of the Eiger
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archaic to attack
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archaic to tempt
noun
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an endeavour to achieve something; effort
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a result of an attempt or endeavour
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an attack, esp with the intention to kill
an attempt on his life
Usage
What does attempt mean? An attempt is an effort made to complete a task, as in My attempt to go to the concert failed when my car broke down. To attempt means to try to complete a task, as in When Riddhi attempted to run to better her health, she found that she really enjoyed it too. When you attempt something, you are making some kind of effort, whether or not you succeed. To attempt is to try. Example: Louise attempted to make bread, but she forgot to add yeast to the recipe.
Synonym Usage
See try.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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attemptabilitynoun
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attempternoun
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quasi-attemptverb
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reattemptverb (used with object)
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attemptableadjective
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unattemptableadjective
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unattemptedadjective
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unattemptingadjective
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well-attemptedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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attemptsimple
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attemptssimple
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have attemptedperfect
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has attemptedperfect
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am attemptingprogressive
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are attemptingprogressive
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is attemptingprogressive
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have been attemptingperfect progressive
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has been attemptingperfect progressive
Past
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attemptedsimple
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had attemptedperfect
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was attemptingprogressive
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were attemptingprogressive
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had been attemptingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of attempt
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Anglo-French atempter from Latin attemptāre “to test, tamper with.” See at-, tempt
Explanation
To attempt is to make an effort. You may attempt to read a book, but if you fail, no harm. If you attempt to jump from one building to the next and fail . . . . Ouch. The word attempt can also be used as a noun. It's an honest effort to do something. Your attempt to bake a birthday cake may look like a disaster, but the birthday boy will appreciate the effort anyway. The noun attempt can also mean an attack on a person or place, but in this case, it's best to hope that the attempt is not on your life. And never, ever attempt that sort of thing at home!
Vocabulary lists containing attempt
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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American Football, 1st Quarter
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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:
South Africa's attempt to fight back in the decisive third Test against Australia was hurt by two poor strokes on day three.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
I think this attempt could be more successful among the pro set: creatives like photographers and designers, and perhaps developers who want to use their Macs to test their apps’ touch interactions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
We assumed that our journey would be the same, that this house would be the first of many we’d attempt, and then fail, to acquire.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
The Endeavour orbiter landing simulator looks deceptively easy to operate, but once you grab the rudimentary joystick and attempt to glide the orbiter to a safe landing on the runway, you might just crash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
My voice sounded remarkably calm for someone whose heart was making a very solid attempt to escape her chest.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The slowness is part of the fascination of baseball, even though recent attempts have been made to speed up the game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Edwards said the company’s system blocked the nanny’s efforts to create new accounts and that it immediately reported attempts to get back on the platform to law enforcement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Previous attempts to address this issue have included supplying additional lithium to replace material lost during operation or covering the electrode with a thicker protective coating.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
Only three field-goal attempts have been missed from inside 35 yards all season and Green Bay rookie Trey Smack missed two of them on Sunday.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
After dinner, when we had all gathered round the fire in the study—Mrs. Harker having gone to bed—we discussed the attempts and discoveries of the day.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
The son of a slumlord coming from the outer boroughs, he was starting with two strikes against him when he attempted to make a jump into Manhattan’s high society.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
Late in the third quarter, San Clemente attempted a flea flicker and San Juan Hills was on James the second he got the ball back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
Even when treatment is attempted, the underlying jawbone may continue to deteriorate.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
This week, Quentin Fottrell — The Moneyist — attempted to mediate a dispute between a married couple, over how to allocate their cash: Should they pay down debt, or invest?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
In April, the Germans attempted to capture a strategic height named Le Mort Homme, Dead Man’s Hill, but were pushed back before they could reach the summit.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
But the narrative shifts dramatically when Morrison and Nelson, a romantic couple attempting a training climb and downhill ski in the Himalayas, experience an avalanche on the eighth-highest mountain in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
A unified stance, however, would push the SpaceX timeline to likely between 2030 and 2032, and the company could spend up to 10 years attempting to capture 20% of the U.S. market, according to Citi.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
One Thanksgiving, my mom and I debated attempting a traditional holiday meal at a rental on Hilton Head Island.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
McPartland compares traditional approaches to studying face recognition with attempting to understand traffic throughout an entire city by monitoring just one downtown street.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
St. John called me to his side to read; in attempting to do this my voice failed me: words were lost in sobs.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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