1
: conscious exertion of power : hard work
a job requiring time and effort
2
: a serious attempt : try
making an effort to reduce costs
3
: something produced by exertion or trying
the novel was her most ambitious effort
4
: effective force as distinguished from the possible resistance called into action by such a force
5
: the total work done to achieve a particular end
Synonyms
Example Sentences
He put a lot of effort into finishing the project on time.
It wasn’t easy, but it was worth the effort.
We need to expend more effort.
The job will require a great deal of time and effort.
Our success is due to the combined efforts of many people.
Her efforts were rewarded with a new contract.
He lost the campaign despite the best efforts of his supporters.
Even though they didn’t win, the team made a good effort.
Her early efforts at writing a novel were awkward.
Despite my best efforts, I never found out who she was.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
The county Board of Supervisors, fearing water might overrun the city of Corcoran, ordered the company to cut a levee on the northern end of the lakebed and flood additional fields, an effort to relieve pressure on levee systems elsewhere.
—
Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2023
The flood of contributions was part of an effort by Sam Bankman-Fried to portray himself as one of the few honest brokers in the freewheeling crypto world and gain influence with regulators and lawmakers.
—Lora Kelley, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2023
The three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an effort by Trump’s attorneys to block Corcoran from having to testify and hand over records to Smith’s team, according to court records.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2023
Nimari Burnett, Noah Gurley and Rylan Griffen have checked in for Alabama. —Alabama 5, San Diego State 6 (15:48 remaining): Each team has three offensive rebounds early as SDSU is making an effort to get into the paint as much as possible.
—Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 24 Mar. 2023
As one of only four North Carolina Green Book locations that are still operating, The Historic Magnolia House kicked its shoebox lunches in gear at the start of the pandemic as an effort to educate and engage their community.
—Jaha Nailah Avery, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2023
According to the American Heart Association, reducing total fat—for instance, eating a low-fat diet—is not recommended as part of an effort to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
—Cynthia Sass, Mph, Rd, Health, 24 Mar. 2023
Though council members say the ban is an effort to combat climate change, one local Republican spokesperson called it an abuse of power.
—Amy Nelson, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2023
In that time, the effort has raised more than $36 million.
—Jodicee Arianna, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘effort.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle French, from Old French esforz, esfort, from esforcier to force, from ex- + forcier to force
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of effort was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near effort
Cite this Entry
“Effort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effort. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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noun
exertion of physical or mental power: It will take great effort to achieve victory.
an earnest or strenuous attempt: an effort to keep to the schedule.
something done by exertion or hard work: I thought it would be easy, but it was an effort.
an achievement, as in literature or art: The painting is one of his finest efforts.
the amount of exertion expended for a specified purpose: the war effort.
Chiefly British.
- an organized community drive or achievement.
- a fund-raising drive.
Mechanics. the force or energy that is applied to a machine for the accomplishment of useful work.
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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)
synonym study for effort
1. 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 WORDS FROM effort
coun·ter·ef·fort, nouno·ver·ef·fort, nounpre·ef·fort, noun
Words nearby effort
efflorescent, effluence, effluent, effluvium, efflux, effort, effort bargain, effortful, effortless, effraction, effrontery
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to effort
achievement, attempt, battle, creation, endeavor, exercise, force, industry, intention, power, production, push, resolution, struggle, training, accomplishment, act, aim, application, aspiration
How to use effort in a sentence
-
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.
-
The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency.
-
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.
-
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.
-
My Bay Area neighborhood, on the other hand, has benefited from consistent investment in efforts to defend it against the ravages of climate change.
-
As part of that effort, Said received weapons training for months, sources told The Daily Beast.
-
The effort to sterilize his image first began when Epstein hired Los Angeles-based spin doctors Sitrick Co.
-
The U.S. military just unveiled a new effort to get Iraqis ready to battle ISIS.
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Where the U.S. once sought to train several divisions worth, the latest effort is for just 3,000 troops.
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Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said the decline was a result of an effort to decrease gang violence.
-
The remaining one struggled for another half-minute, and flared up in one last, desperate effort.
-
He had seen the act committed, he felt sure but had made no effort whatever to stop the thief.
-
I shall therefore, in my effort to prove the Bible fallible, quote almost wholly from Christian critics.
-
To make the effort of articulation a vital impulse in response to a mental concept,—this is the object sought.
-
Make a personal appeal to your men and Godley’s to make a supreme effort to hold their ground.
British Dictionary definitions for effort
noun
physical or mental exertion, usually considerable when unqualifiedthe rock was moved with effort
a determined attemptour effort to save him failed
achievement; creationa great literary effort
physics an applied force acting against inertia
Derived forms of effort
effortful, adjective
Word Origin for effort
C15: from Old French esfort, from esforcier to force, ultimately from Latin fortis strong; see force 1
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for effort
Force applied against inertia.
The force needed by a machine in order to accomplish work on a load. Compare load.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with effort
see all out (effort); last-ditch effort.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
ef·fort
(ĕf′ərt)
n.
1. The use of physical or mental energy to do something; exertion.
2. A difficult exertion of strength or will: It was an effort to get up.
3. A usually earnest attempt: Make an effort to arrive promptly.
4. Something done or produced through exertion; an achievement: a play that was his finest effort.
5. Physics
a. Force applied against inertia.
b. The force needed by a machine to accomplish work on a load.
[Middle English, from Old French esfort, from esforcier, to force, exert, from Medieval Latin exfortiāre : Latin ex-, ex- + Latin fortis, strong; see bhergh- in Indo-European roots.]
ef′fort·ful adj.
ef′fort·ful·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
effort
(ˈɛfət)
n
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. (General Physics) physics an applied force acting against inertia
[C15: from Old French esfort, from esforcier to force, ultimately from Latin fortis strong; see force1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ef•fort
(ˈɛf ərt)
n.
1. exertion of physical or mental power.
2. an earnest or strenuous attempt.
3. something done by exertion or hard work.
4. an achievement, as in literature or art: The painting is one of her finest efforts.
5. action undertaken by a group for a specified purpose: the war effort.
6. the force or energy that is applied to a machine for the accomplishment of useful work.
[1480–90; < Middle French; Old French esfort, esforz, derivative of esforcier to force (es- ex-1 + forcier to force)]
syn: effort, application, endeavor, exertion imply energetic activity and expenditure of energy. effort is an expenditure of physical or mental energy to accomplish some objective: He made an effort to control himself. application is continuous effort plus careful attention and diligence: application to one’s studies. endeavor means a continued and sustained series of efforts to achieve some end, often worthy and difficult: an endeavor to rescue survivors. exertion is vigorous action or effort, frequently without an end in view: out of breath from exertion.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
effort
If you make an effort to do something, you try hard to do it.
Schmitt made one more effort to escape.
Little effort has been made to investigate this claim.
Be Careful!
Don’t say that someone ‘does an effort‘.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  effort — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; «made an effort to cover all the reading material»; «wished him luck in his endeavor»; «she gave it a good try»
attempt, try, endeavor, endeavour batting — (baseball) the batter’s attempt to get on base best — the supreme effort one can make; «they did their best» worst — the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of; «it was the worst he had ever done on a test» activity — any specific behavior; «they avoided all recreational activity» bid, play — an attempt to get something; «they made a futile play for power»; «he made a bid to gain attention» fling, go, offer, whirl, crack, pass — a usually brief attempt; «he took a crack at it»; «I gave it a whirl» essay — a tentative attempt foray — an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence); «scientists’ forays into politics» contribution, share, part — the part played by a person in bringing about a result; «I am proud of my contribution in advancing the project»; «they all did their share of the work» liberation — the attempt to achieve equal rights or status; «she worked for women’s liberation» mug’s game — a futile or unprofitable endeavor power play, squeeze play, squeeze — an aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the concentration or manipulation of power; «she laughed at this sexual power play and walked away» seeking — an attempt to acquire or gain something stab, shot — informal words for any attempt or effort; «he gave it his best shot»; «he took a stab at forecasting» shot — an attempt to score in a game nisus, pains, striving, strain — an effortful attempt to attain a goal struggle, battle — an energetic attempt to achieve something; «getting through the crowd was a real struggle»; «he fought a battle for recognition» takeover attempt — an attempt to take control of a corporation trial, run, test — the act of testing something; «in the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately»; «he called each flip of the coin a new trial» trial, test — the act of undergoing testing; «he survived the great test of battle»; «candidates must compete in a trial of skill» |
| 2. |  effort — use of physical or mental energy; hard work; «he got an A for effort»; «they managed only with great exertion»
elbow grease, exertion, travail, sweat toil, labor, labour — productive work (especially physical work done for wages); «his labor did not require a great deal of skill» struggle — strenuous effort; «the struggle to get through the crowd exhausted her» difficulty, trouble — an effort that is inconvenient; «I went to a lot of trouble»; «he won without any trouble»; «had difficulty walking»; «finished the test only with great difficulty» least effort, least resistance — the least effortful way to do something straining, strain — an intense or violent exertion exercise, exercising, physical exercise, physical exertion, workout — the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit; «the doctor recommended regular exercise»; «he did some exercising»; «the physical exertion required by his work kept him fit» pull — a sustained effort; «it was a long pull but we made it» diligence, application — a diligent effort; «it is a job requiring serious application» overkill — any effort that seems to go farther than would be necessary to achieve its goal supererogation — an effort above and beyond the call of duty overexertion — excessive exertion; so much exertion that discomfort or injury results detrition, friction, rubbing — effort expended in moving one object over another with pressure |
|
| 3. |  effort — a notable achievement; «he performed a great feat»; «the book was her finest effort»
exploit, feat accomplishment, achievement — the action of accomplishing something derring-do — brave and heroic feats hit — (baseball) a successful stroke in an athletic contest (especially in baseball); «he came all the way around on Williams’ hit» rally, rallying — the feat of mustering strength for a renewed effort; «he singled to start a rally in the 9th inning»; «he feared the rallying of their troops for a counterattack» stunt — a difficult or unusual or dangerous feat; usually done to gain attention tour de force — a masterly or brilliant feat |
|
| 4. |  effort — a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; «he supported populist campaigns»; «they worked in the cause of world peace»; «the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant»; «the movement to end slavery»; «contributed to the war effort»
crusade, campaign, cause, drive, movement venture — any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome ad blitz, ad campaign, advertising campaign — an organized program of advertisements anti-war movement — a campaign against entering or continuing a war charm campaign — a campaign of flattery and friendliness (by a company, politician, etc.) to become more popular and gain support consumerism — a movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers campaigning, candidacy, candidature, electioneering, political campaign — the campaign of a candidate to be elected fund-raising campaign, fund-raising drive, fund-raising effort — a campaign to raise money for some cause feminist movement, women’s lib, women’s liberation movement, feminism — the movement aimed at equal rights for women gay lib, gay liberation movement — the movement aimed at liberating homosexuals from legal or social or economic oppression lost cause — a defeated cause or a cause for which defeat is inevitable reform — a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices; «the reforms he proposed were too radical for the politicians» war — a concerted campaign to end something that is injurious; «the war on poverty»; «the war against crime» youth crusade, youth movement — political or religious or social reform movement or agitation consisting chiefly of young people |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
effort
noun
2. exertion, work, labour, trouble, force, energy, struggle, stress, application, strain, striving, graft, toil, welly (slang), hard graft, travail (literary), elbow grease (facetious), blood, sweat, and tears (informal) A great deal of effort had been put into the planning.
3. achievement, act, performance, product, job, production, creation, feat, deed, accomplishment, attainment The gallery is showcasing her latest efforts.
Quotations
«Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt» [José Oretega y Gasset In Search of Goethe From Within, Letter to a German]
«Lovely it is, when the winds are churning up the waves on the great sea, to gaze out from the land on the great efforts of someone else» [Lucretius De Rerum Natura]
«Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well» [Lord Chesterfield Letters to His Son]
«Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might» Bible: Ecclesiastes
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
effort
noun
1. The use of energy to do something:
2. A difficult or tedious undertaking:
Informal: job.
3. A trying to do or make something:
4. Something completed or attained successfully:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
جُهْدنَتيجَة المُحاوَلَهتَعَب
úsilí
anstrengelsebestræbelseindsatsumagen værd
vaivannäkö
naportrud
erõkifejtés
átak, erfiîitilraun, viîleitni
努力
노력
be pastangųnereikalaujantis pastangųpastanga
piepūlepūlessasniegums
námaha
napor
ansträngning
ความพยายาม
nỗ lực
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
effort
[ˈɛfərt] n
(= difficulty) with an effort → avec difficulté
to be an effort to do sth (= difficult) → être un effort de faire qch
It was an effort to concentrate → C’était un effort de se concentrer.
to do sth by an effort of will (= force o.s.) → faire qch dans un effort de volonté
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
effort
n
(= attempt) → Versuch m; (= strain, hard work) → Anstrengung f, → Mühe f; (Mech) → Leistung f; to make an effort to do something → den Versuch unternehmen, etw zu tun, sich bemühen, etw zu tun; to make the effort to do something → sich (dat) → die Mühe machen, etw zu tun; to make every effort or a great effort to do something → sich sehr bemühen or anstrengen, etw zu tun; to make every possible effort to do something → jede nur mögliche Anstrengung or große Anstrengungen unternehmen or machen, etw zu tun; to make little effort to do something → sich (dat) → wenig Mühe geben, etw zu tun; he made no effort to be polite → er machte sich (dat) → nicht die Mühe, höflich zu sein; it’s an effort (to get up in the morning) → es kostet einige Mühe or Anstrengung(, morgens aufzustehen); getting up was an effort → das Aufstehen kostete einige Mühe or Anstrengung; he had to double his efforts → er musste seine Anstrengungen verdoppeln; if it’s not too much of an effort for you (iro) → wenn es dir nicht zu viel Mühe macht; with an effort → mühsam; with a great effort of will → mit einer gewaltigen Willensanstrengung; come on, make an effort → komm, streng dich an; it’s well worth the effort → die Mühe lohnt sich wirklich
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
effort
(ˈefət) noun
1. hard work; energy. Learning a foreign language requires effort; The effort of climbing the hill made the old man very tired.
2. a trying hard; a struggle. The government’s efforts to improve the economy were unsuccessful; Please make every effort to be punctual.
3. the result of an attempt. Your drawing was a good effort.
ˈeffortless adjective
done without (apparent) effort. The dancer’s movements looked effortless.
ˈeffortlessly adverb
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
effort
→ جُهْد úsilí bestræbelse Anstrengung προσπάθεια esfuerzo vaivannäkö effort napor sforzo 努力 노력 inspanning anstrengelse wysiłek esforço усилие ansträngning ความพยายาม çaba nỗ lực 努力
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
ef·fort
n. esfuerzo, empeño;
v.
to make every ___ to → hacer todo lo posible por.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle French effort, from Old French esfort, deverbal of esforcier (“to force, exert”), from Vulgar Latin *exfortiō, from Latin ex + fortis (“strong”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɛfət/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɛfɚt/
Noun[edit]
effort (plural efforts)
- The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.
-
It took a lot of effort to find a decent-sized, fully-furnished apartment within walking distance of the office. He made a conscious effort to not appear affected by the stories in the paper.
-
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
-
The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking.
-
-
2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
-
Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame.
-
-
- An endeavor.
-
Although he didn’t win any medals, Johnson’s effort at the Olympics won over many fans.
-
2012 March 1, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87:
-
But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.
-
-
- A force acting on a body in the direction of its motion.
-
1858, Macquorn Rankine, Manual of Applied Mechanics:
-
the two bodies between which the effort acts
-
-
Synonyms[edit]
- struggle
Derived terms[edit]
- A for effort
- best efforts
- center of effort
- centre of effort
- effort distance
- effortless
- joint efforts
- low-effort syndrome
- make an effort
- spare no effort
- tractive effort
- war effort
Collocations[edit]
Adjectives often used with «effort»
conscious, good, poor, etc.
Translations[edit]
the amount of work involved in achieving something
- Albanian: përpjekje (sq) f
- Arabic: جَهْد m (jahd), جُهْد m (juhd), مَجْهُود m (majhūd), سَعْي m (saʕy)
- Egyptian Arabic: مجهود m (maghūd)
- Armenian: ճիգ (hy) (čig), ջանք (hy) (ǰankʿ)
- Azerbaijani: səy, cəhd (az), zəhmət
- Belarusian: намага́нне n (namahánnje), вы́сілак m (výsilak), пату́га f (patúha)
- Bengali: কোশেশ (bn) (kōśeś), মেহনত (mehonot)
- Bulgarian: уси́лие (bg) n (usílie), стара́ние (bg) n (staránie)
- Burmese: ဝါယမ (my) (waya.ma.), ဝီရိယ (my) (wiri.ya.)
- Catalan: esforç (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 努力 (zh) (nǔlì), 費力／费力 (zh) (fèilì)
- Czech: úsilí (cs) n, snaha (cs) f
- Danish: anstrengelse c, indsats c
- Dutch: inspanning (nl) f
- Esperanto: klopodo
- Estonian: pingutus
- Finnish: ponnistus (fi), vaiva (fi), yritys (fi)
- French: effort (fr) m
- Galician: esforzo m
- Georgian: მცდელობა (mcdeloba), ძალისხმევა (ʒalisxmeva), ძალვა (ʒalva) (technical term)
- German: Anstrengung (de) f, Aufwand (de) m, Bemühung (de) f
- Greek: προσπάθεια (el) f (prospátheia)
- Hebrew: מַאֲמָץ m (ma’amáts)
- Hindi: प्रयास (hi) m (prayās), कोशिश (hi) f (kośiś), जतन (hi) m (jatan)
- Hungarian: erőfeszítés (hu)
- Hunsrik: Aanstrengung f
- Indonesian: upaya (id), usaha (id)
- Interlingua: effortio
- Irish: stró m, iarracht (ga) f
- Italian: sforzo (it) m
- Japanese: 努力 (ja) (どりょく, doryoku)
- Kazakh: жігер (jıger), күш (kk) (küş)
- Khmer: ការខិតខំ (kaa khət khɑm)
- Korean: 노력(努力) (ko) (noryeok)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: ڕەنج (ckb) (renc)
- Kyrgyz: күч (ky) (küç)
- Ladino: esforso
- Lao: ຄວາມພະຍາຍາມ
- Latin: mōlīmen n, mōlīmentum n, opera (la) f
- Latvian: piepūle f
- Lithuanian: stengimasis m, pastanga f
- Macedonian: напор m (napor)
- Maori: manawanuitanga, kohakoha
- Mongolian:
- Cyrillic: оролдлого (mn) (oroldlogo), зүтгэл (mn) (zütgel)
- Ngazidja Comorian: djitihadi class 9/10
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: anstrengelse m, innsats m
- Persian: تلاش (fa) (talâš), سعی (fa) (sa’y), جهد (fa) (jahd), کوشش (fa) (kôšeš)
- Plautdietsch: Mieej f, Aunstrenjunk f
- Polish: wysiłek (pl) m, staranie (pl) n
- Portuguese: esforço (pt) m
- Romanian: efort (ro) n, solicitare (ro) f
- Russian: уси́лие (ru) n (usílije), стара́ние (ru) n (staránije)
- Scottish Gaelic: iomairt f
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: на́пор m, тру̑д m
- Roman: nápor (sh) m, trȗd (sh) m
- Slovak: úsilie (sk) n, snaha (sk) f
- Slovene: napor m
- Spanish: esfuerzo (es) m
- Swahili: juhudi (sw)
- Swedish: ansträngning (sv) c, insats (sv) c
- Tajik: саъй (saʾy), кӯшиш (tg) (küšiš), талош (taloš), ҷахд (jaxd)
- Thai: ความพยายาม (th) (kwaam-pá-yaa-yaam)
- Turkish: çaba (tr), ceht (tr), efor (tr)
- Ukrainian: зуси́лля n (zusýllja), спро́ба f (spróba), намага́ння (uk) n (namahánnja), стара́ння n (staránnja)
- Urdu: جـﮩد m (jahad, jahd), کوشش f (kośiś), جتن m (jatan), سعی f (sa’ī)
- Uzbek: zoʻr berish, jahd (uz) (jahd), saʼy (uz)
- Vietnamese: nỗ lực (vi) (努力)
- Yiddish: אָנשטרענגונג f (onshtrengung)
Verb[edit]
effort (third-person singular simple present efforts, present participle efforting, simple past and past participle efforted)
- (uncommon, intransitive) To make an effort.
- (obsolete, transitive) To strengthen, fortify or stimulate
-
1684, Thomas Fuller, G. S., Anglorum Speculum: Or The Worthies of England, in Church and State[1]:
-
When old, he lived in London where, being High-minded and Poor, he was exposed to the contempt of disingenuous persons. Yet he efforted his Spirits with a Commemoration of the Days of Old.
-
-
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle French, from Old French esfort, from esforcier; morphologically, deverbal from efforcer. Compare Spanish esfuerzo, Catalan esforç, Portuguese esforço, Italian sforzo.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /e.fɔʁ/
- Rhymes: -ɔʁ
Noun[edit]
effort m (plural efforts)
- effort
-
Ils n’ont pas fait le moindre effort pour être polis avec lui.
- They have not made the slightest effort to be polite with them.
-
Derived terms[edit]
- après l’effort, le réconfort
- effort de guerre
- loi du moindre effort
[edit]
- efforcer
Descendants[edit]
- → Romanian: efort
Further reading[edit]
- “effort”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams[edit]
- offert
Middle French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Old French.
Noun[edit]
effort m (plural effors)
- strength; might; force
- (military) unit; division
References[edit]
- effort on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330–1500) (in French)
Old French[edit]
Noun[edit]
effort m (oblique plural efforz or effortz, nominative singular efforz or effortz, nominative plural effort)
- Alternative form of esfort
Other forms: efforts
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.
Definitions of effort
-
noun
use of physical or mental energy; hard work
“he got an A for
effort”-
synonyms:
elbow grease, exertion, sweat, travail
see moresee less-
types:
- show 31 types…
- hide 31 types…
-
struggle
strenuous effort
-
difficulty, trouble
an effort that is inconvenient
-
least effort, least resistance
the least effortful way to do something
-
strain, straining
an intense or violent exertion
-
exercise, exercising, physical exercise, physical exertion, workout
the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
-
pull
a sustained effort
-
application, diligence
a diligent effort
-
overkill
any effort that seems to go farther than would be necessary to achieve its goal
-
supererogation
an effort above and beyond the call of duty
-
overexertion
excessive exertion; so much exertion that discomfort or injury results
-
detrition, friction, rubbing
effort expended in moving one object over another with pressure
-
attrition
the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction
-
cardiopulmonary exercise
exercise intended to strengthen the circulatory system
-
gymnastic exercise
(gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus)
-
kick up
raising the feet backward with the hands on the ground; a first movement in doing a handstand
-
grapple, grappling, hand-to-hand struggle, wrestle, wrestling
the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat
-
the devil
something difficult or awkward to do or deal with
-
tsuris
(Yiddish) aggravating trouble
-
exercise set, set
several exercises intended to be done in series
-
anaerobic exercise, bodybuilding, muscle building, musclebuilding
exercise that builds muscles through tension
-
calisthenics, callisthenics
light exercises designed to promote general fitness
-
isometric exercise, isometrics
muscle-building exercises (or a system of musclebuilding exercises) involving muscular contractions against resistance without movement (the muscles contracts but the length of the muscle does not change)
-
isotonic exercise
exercise in which opposing muscles contract and there is controlled movement (tension is constant while the lengths of the muscles change)
-
Kegel exercises, pubococcygeus exercises
exercises for women designed to improve the ability to hold urine
-
stretch, stretching
exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent
-
arm exercise
exercise designed to strengthen the arm muscles
-
back exercise
exercise designed to strengthen the back muscles
-
leg exercise
exercise designed to strengthen the leg muscles
-
neck exercise
exercise designed to strengthen the neck muscles
-
stomach exercise, tummy crunch
an exercise designed to strengthen the abdominal muscles
-
yoga
a system of exercises practiced as part of the Hindu discipline to promote control of the body and mind
-
type of:
-
labor, labour, toil
productive work (especially physical work done for wages)
-
noun
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
“made an
effort to cover all the reading material”-
synonyms:
attempt, endeavor, endeavour, try
see moresee less-
types:
- show 39 types…
- hide 39 types…
-
batting
(baseball) the batter’s attempt to get on base
-
best
the supreme effort one can make
-
worst
the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of
-
bid, play
an attempt to get something
-
crack, fling, go, offer, pass, whirl
a usually brief attempt
-
essay
a tentative attempt
-
foray
an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence)
-
contribution, part, share
the part played by a person in bringing about a result
-
liberation
the attempt to achieve equal rights or status
-
mug’s game
a futile or unprofitable endeavor
-
power play, squeeze, squeeze play
an aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the concentration or manipulation of power
-
seeking
an attempt to acquire or gain something
-
shot, stab
informal words for any attempt or effort
-
shot
an attempt to score in a game
-
nisus, pains, strain, striving
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
-
battle, struggle
an energetic attempt to achieve something
-
takeover attempt
an attempt to take control of a corporation
-
run, test, trial
the act of testing something
-
test, trial
the act of undergoing testing
-
basketball shot
throwing the basketball toward the hoop
-
bear hug
a takeover bid so attractive that the directors of the target company must approve it or risk shareholder protest
-
proxy fight
a measure used by an acquirer to gain control of a takeover target; acquirer tries to persuade other shareholders that the management of the target should be replaced
-
end
the part you are expected to play
-
duel
any struggle between two skillful opponents (individuals or groups)
-
scramble, scuffle
an unceremonious and disorganized struggle
-
assay
a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc.
-
clinical test, clinical trial
a rigorously controlled test of a new drug or a new invasive medical device on human subjects; in the United States it is conducted under the direction of the FDA before being made available for general clinical use
-
double blind
a test procedure in which the identity of those receiving the intervention is concealed from both the administrators and the subjects until after the test is completed; designed to reduce or eliminate bias in the results
-
preclinical phase, preclinical test, preclinical trial
a laboratory test of a new drug or a new invasive medical device on animal subjects; conducted to gather evidence justifying a clinical trial
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audition, tryout
a test of the suitability of a performer
-
field trial
a test of young hunting dogs to determine their skill in pointing and retrieving
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fitting, try-on, trying on
putting clothes on to see whether they fit
-
MOT, MOT test, Ministry of Transportation test
a compulsory annual test of older motor vehicles for safety and exhaust fumes
-
pilot program, pilot project
activity planned as a test or trial
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jehad, jihad
a holy struggle or striving by a Muslim for a moral or spiritual or political goal
-
slapshot
a fast shot made with a short powerful swing of the hockey stick
-
headshot
an attempt to put the soccer ball into the net by using the head
-
Snellen test
a test of visual acuity using a Snellen chart
-
joust, tilt
a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances
-
type of:
-
activity
any specific behavior
-
noun
a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
“contributed to the war
effort”-
synonyms:
campaign, cause, crusade, drive, movement
see moresee less-
types:
- show 18 types…
- hide 18 types…
-
ad blitz, ad campaign, advertising campaign
an organized program of advertisements
-
anti-war movement
a campaign against entering or continuing a war
-
charm campaign
a campaign of flattery and friendliness (by a company, politician, etc.) to become more popular and gain support
-
consumerism
a movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers
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campaigning, candidacy, candidature, electioneering, political campaign
the campaign of a candidate to be elected
-
fund-raising campaign, fund-raising drive, fund-raising effort
a campaign to raise money for some cause
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feminism, feminist movement, women’s lib, women’s liberation movement
the movement aimed at equal rights for women
-
gay lib, gay liberation movement
the movement aimed at liberating homosexuals from legal or social or economic oppression
-
lost cause
a defeated cause or a cause for which defeat is inevitable
-
reform
a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices
-
war
a concerted campaign to end something that is injurious
-
youth crusade, youth movement
political or religious or social reform movement or agitation consisting chiefly of young people
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front-porch campaign, front-porch campaigning
a campaign in which the candidate makes speeches but does not travel
-
hustings
the activities involved in political campaigning (especially speech making)
-
whispering campaign
the organized dissemination of derogatory rumors designed to discredit a candidate
-
stumping
campaigning for something by making political speeches (stump speeches)
-
sales campaign
an advertising campaign intended to promote sales
-
public-relations campaign
an advertising campaign intended to improve public relations
-
type of:
-
venture
any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
-
noun
a notable achievement
“the book was her finest
effort”-
synonyms:
exploit, feat
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effort 
effort rating 
effortless -
Defenition of the word effort
- The use of forces and means higher than normal in order to achieve a given purpose.
- A series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end.
- earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something: «made an effort to cover all the reading material»; «wished him luck in his endeavor»; «she gave it a good try»
- a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; «he supported populist campaigns»; «they worked in the cause of world peace»; «the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant»; «the movement to end slavery»; «contributed to the war effort»
- a notable achievement: «the book was her finest effort»
- use of physical or mental energy; hard work; «he got an A for effort»; «they managed only with great exertion»
- a notable achievement; «he performed a great deed»; «the book was her finest effort»
- earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; «made an effort to cover all the reading material»; «wished him luck in his endeavor»; «she gave it a good try»
- a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; «he supported populist campaigns»; «they worked in the cause of world peace»; «the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant»; «the movement to end slavery»; «contributed to
- a notable achievement
- use of physical or mental energy; hard work
- earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
- a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
Synonyms for the word effort
-
- attempt
- campaign
- cause
- crack
- crusade
- deed
- drive
- elbow grease
- endeavor
- endeavour
- energy
- exertion
- exploit
- feat
- force
- movement
- power
- shot
- stab
- strength
- struggle
- sweat
- travail
- try
Similar words in the effort
-
- effort
- effort’s
- effortless
- effortlessly
- efforts
Hyponyms for the word effort
-
- acquiring
- actuation
- ad blitz
- ad campaign
- advertising campaign
- anti-war movement
- application
- batting
- battle
- best
- bid
- braving
- campaigning
- candidacy
- candidature
- causation
- causing
- charm campaign
- confronting
- consumerism
- contribution
- coping with
- crack
- delivery
- departure
- derring-do
- detrition
- difficulty
- digging up
- diligence
- discovery
- disinterment
- disposal
- disposition
- ecumenical movement
- effectuation
- egress
- egression
- electioneering
- emergence
- equalisation
- equalization
- essay
- exercise
- exercising
- exhumation
- feminism
- feminist movement
- find
- fling
- foray
- friction
- fund-raising campaign
- fund-raising drive
- fund-raising effort
- gay lib
- gay liberation movement
- getting
- go
- going
- going away
- grappling
- hit
- implementation
- least effort
- least resistance
- leaving
- leveling
- liberation
- lost cause
- mitsvah
- mitzvah
- mug’s game
- nisus
- obstetrical delivery
- offer
- overexertion
- overkill
- pains
- part
- pass
- physical exercise
- physical exertion
- play
- political campaign
- power play
- propulsion
- pull
- rally
- rallying
- recovery
- reform
- research effort
- retrieval
- rubbing
- run
- running away
- seeking
- share
- shot
- squeeze
- squeeze play
- stab
- strain
- straining
- striving
- struggle
- stunt
- supererogation
- tackling
- takeover attempt
- test
- touch
- touching
- tour de force
- trial
- trouble
- uncovering
- war
- whirl
- women’s lib
- women’s liberation movement
- workout
- worst
- youth crusade
- youth movement
Hypernyms for the word effort
-
- accomplishment
- achievement
- activity
- labor
- labour
- toil
- venture
See other words
-
- What is economics
- The definition of fable
- The interpretation of the word econometrics
- What is meant by ecological footprint
- The lexical meaning eclecticism
- The dictionary meaning of the word echo
- The grammatical meaning of the word ecdysiast
- Meaning of the word eccentric contraction
- Literal and figurative meaning of the word eccentric
- The origin of the word egghead
- Synonym for the word eggplant
- Antonyms for the word facet
- Homonyms for the word egocentrism
- Hyponyms for the word egoist
- Holonyms for the word eigenstate
- Hypernyms for the word eject
- Proverbs and sayings for the word eclogue
- Translation of the word in other languages edit
усилие, попытка, старание, напряжение, достижение, натуга
существительное ↓
- сила; усилие; напряжение; старание
- попытка
to make an effort — попытаться, сделать попытку, постараться 
It may be worth our effort to investigate the matter. — Пожалуй, стоит попытаться внимательно изучить этот вопрос.
- усилия; борьба (за что-л.)
a peace effort — усилия в борьбе за мир
joint /combined. concerted/ effort — объединённые усилия
co-operative effort — совместные усилия
constant effort to attain one’s end — постоянная борьба за достижение цели
- достижение; произведение; результат усилий
a literary effort — литературное произведение
The painting is one of his finest efforts. — Эта картина — одна из его лучших работ.
- программа работ; объём работ; деятельность
air effort — авиационный ресурс; действия авиации
research effort — программа научно-исследовательских работ
space effort — программа космических исследований
- нечто, требующее напряжения сил: тяжёлое, утомительное или скучное
I’m exhausted all the time, and everything is a real effort. — Я постоянно устаю, и буквально всё приходится делать через силу.
I was so weak that even standing up was an effort. — Я настолько ослаб, что даже вставать удавалось с трудом.
I thought it would be easy, but it was an effort. — Я думал, что будет легко, но было тяжко.
- физ. сила; усилие
braking effort — усилие торможения
linkage effort — усилие тяги
- спорт. голевой момент; удар по воротам
What an effort! — Как сыграно! Какой момент! (спорт.)
It was a great goal effort, but the keeper made a diving save. — Это был отличный голевой момент, но вратарь в прыжке спас ворота.
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
in an effort to avoid confusion — в стремлении избежать путаницы
vast expenditures of time and effort — огромные затраты времени и сил
an unavailing effort to avert a war — тщетные усилия предотвратить войну
desperate / frantic effort — отчаянное усилие
an effort to goose sales — попытка стимулировать продажи
heroic effort — огромные, героические усилия
just a midget effort — хотя бы малейшее усилие
team effort — усилия всей команды
to run with effort — бежать через силу
design effort — конструкторская работа
programming effort — работа по программированию
war effort — военная экономика; военные нужды; военно-экономическая деятельность; работа на победу
Примеры с переводом
Not a bad effort for a beginner!
Неплохая попытка для новичка!
Success waits on effort.
Успех требует усилий.
We need to expend more effort.
Мы должны прилагать больше усилий.
He put a lot of effort into finishing the project on time.
Он приложил много усилий, чтобы завершить проект в срок.
Her efforts were rewarded with a new contract.
Её усилия были вознаграждены новым контрактом.
Despite my best efforts, I never found out who she was.
Несмотря на все свои усилия, я так и не узнала, кто она такая.
The job will require a great deal of time and effort.
Эта работа потребует много времени и сил.
ещё 23 примера свернуть
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
It took her so much effort to speak that what she said carried great conviction (=showed she felt sure of what she said). 
…movie audiences have effectively nixed the idea of the reviving the old-fashioned western by emphatically ignoring this latest effort…
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.
Возможные однокоренные слова
effortless — легкий, естественный, пассивный, не требующий усилий, не делающий усилий
effortlessly — без усилий, без напряжения
Формы слова
noun
ед. ч.(singular): effort
мн. ч.(plural): efforts
Meaning Effort
What does Effort mean? Here you find 19 meanings of the word Effort. You can also add a definition of Effort yourself
1 |
0 A mental factor that makes its primary mind delight in virtue. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune
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2 |
0 Effortlate 15c., «laborious attempt, strenuous exertion,» from Middle French effort, from Old French esforz «force, impetuosity, strength, power,» verbal noun from esforcier «force [..]
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3 |
0 EffortThe number of labor units necessary to complete the work. Effort is usually expressed in staff hours, staff days or staff weeks and should not be confused with duration. [D00591]
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4 |
0 Effortattempt: earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; &quot;made an effort to cover all the reading material&quot;; &quot;wished him luck in his e [..]
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5 |
0 Efforta hard try. When you use all your strength you are making an effort
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6 |
0 EffortThe amount of energy or force which is put into moving an object with a lever.
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7 |
0 EffortThe activation of mental or physical power.
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8 |
0 Effortonshtrengung
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9 |
0 Effortthe force applied to a machine to make it move
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10 |
0 EffortThe degree of effort with which a sub-national government pursues revenue collections, given the revenue instruments and tax bases that are available to it. Typically measured as the ratio of collections to the underlying tax base. Also referred to as Revenue Performance.
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11 |
0 Effort(n) earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something(n) use of physical or mental energy; hard work(n) a notable achievement(n) a series of actions advancing a principle o [..]
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12 |
0 Effortconatus
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13 |
0 EffortThe force or energy applied to a machine to get it to work.
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14 |
0 EffortAny individual promotion to a subscriber or prospect. A new business, qualification, renewal or requalification, or billing series will comprise several efforts.
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15 |
0 EffortThe amount of time and fishing power used to harvest fish; fishing power can include gear size, boat size and horsepower.
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16 |
0 EffortExpenditure of energy during Physical Activity. Intensity of exertion may be measured by rate of Oxygen Consumption; Heat produced, or Heart Rate. Perceived exertion, a psychological measure of exerti [..]
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17 |
0 EffortWhen playing a game that is not purely random, a player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome of the game.
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18 |
0 Effortthe work-time product (e.g., person-days) associated with a project
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19 |
0 EffortThe work involved in performing an activity; exertion. (It took a lot of effort to find a decent-sized, fully-furnished apartment within walking distance of the office. He made a consc [..]
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