effort
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
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use of physical or mental energy; hard work“he got an A for effort”
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synonyms:
elbow grease, exertion, sweat, travail
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types:
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struggle
strenuous effort
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difficulty, trouble
an effort that is inconvenient
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least effort, least resistance
the least effortful way to do something
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strain, straining
an intense or violent exertion
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exercise, exercising, physical exercise, physical exertion, workout
the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
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pull
a sustained effort
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application, diligence
a diligent effort
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overkill
any effort that seems to go farther than would be necessary to achieve its goal
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supererogation
an effort above and beyond the call of duty
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overexertion
excessive exertion; so much exertion that discomfort or injury results
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detrition, friction, rubbing
effort expended in moving one object over another with pressure
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attrition
the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction
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cardiopulmonary exercise
exercise intended to strengthen the circulatory system
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gymnastic exercise
(gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus)
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kick up
raising the feet backward with the hands on the ground; a first movement in doing a handstand
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grapple, grappling, hand-to-hand struggle, wrestle, wrestling
the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat
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the devil
something difficult or awkward to do or deal with
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tsuris
(Yiddish) aggravating trouble
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exercise set, set
several exercises intended to be done in series
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anaerobic exercise, bodybuilding, muscle building, musclebuilding
exercise that builds muscles through tension
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calisthenics, callisthenics
light exercises designed to promote general fitness
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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)
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isotonic exercise
exercise in which opposing muscles contract and there is controlled movement (tension is constant while the lengths of the muscles change)
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Kegel exercises, pubococcygeus exercises
exercises for women designed to improve the ability to hold urine
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stretch, stretching
exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent
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arm exercise
exercise designed to strengthen the arm muscles
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back exercise
exercise designed to strengthen the back muscles
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leg exercise
exercise designed to strengthen the leg muscles
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neck exercise
exercise designed to strengthen the neck muscles
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stomach exercise, tummy crunch
an exercise designed to strengthen the abdominal muscles
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yoga
a system of exercises practiced as part of the Hindu discipline to promote control of the body and mind
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earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something“made an effort to cover all the reading material”
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types:
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batting
(baseball) the batter's attempt to get on base
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best
the supreme effort one can make
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worst
the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of
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bid, play
an attempt to get something
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crack, fling, go, offer, pass, whirl
a usually brief attempt
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essay
a tentative attempt
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foray
an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence)
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contribution, part, share
the part played by a person in bringing about a result
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liberation
the attempt to achieve equal rights or status
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mug's game
a futile or unprofitable endeavor
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power play, squeeze, squeeze play
an aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the concentration or manipulation of power
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seeking
an attempt to acquire or gain something
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shot, stab
informal words for any attempt or effort
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shot
an attempt to score in a game
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nisus, pains, strain, striving
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
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battle, struggle
an energetic attempt to achieve something
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takeover attempt
an attempt to take control of a corporation
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run, test, trial
the act of testing something
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test, trial
the act of undergoing testing
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basketball shot
throwing the basketball toward the hoop
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bear hug
a takeover bid so attractive that the directors of the target company must approve it or risk shareholder protest
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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
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end
the part you are expected to play
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duel
any struggle between two skillful opponents (individuals or groups)
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scramble, scuffle
an unceremonious and disorganized struggle
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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MOT, MOT test, Ministry of Transportation test
a compulsory annual test of older motor vehicles for safety and exhaust fumes
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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
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slapshot
a fast shot made with a short powerful swing of the hockey stick
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headshot
an attempt to put the soccer ball into the net by using the head
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Snellen test
a test of visual acuity using a Snellen chart
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joust, tilt
a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances
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type of:
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activity
any specific behavior
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a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end“contributed to the war effort”
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types:
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ad blitz, ad campaign, advertising campaign
an organized program of advertisements
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anti-war movement
a campaign against entering or continuing a war
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charm campaign
a campaign of flattery and friendliness (by a company, politician, etc.) to become more popular and gain support
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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
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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
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gay lib, gay liberation movement
the movement aimed at liberating homosexuals from legal or social or economic oppression
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lost cause
a defeated cause or a cause for which defeat is inevitable
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reform
a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices
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war
a concerted campaign to end something that is injurious
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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
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hustings
the activities involved in political campaigning (especially speech making)
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whispering campaign
the organized dissemination of derogatory rumors designed to discredit a candidate
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stumping
campaigning for something by making political speeches (stump speeches)
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sales campaign
an advertising campaign intended to promote sales
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public-relations campaign
an advertising campaign intended to improve public relations
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type of:
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venture
any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
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a notable achievement“the book was her finest effort”
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types:
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derring-do
brave and heroic feats
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hit
(baseball) a successful stroke in an athletic contest (especially in baseball)
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rally, rallying
the feat of mustering strength for a renewed effort
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stunt
a difficult or unusual or dangerous feat; usually done to gain attention
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tour de force
a masterly or brilliant feat
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base hit, safety
(baseball) the successful act of striking a baseball in such a way that the batter reaches base safely
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Russian roulette
a stunt in which you spin the cylinder of a revolver that is loaded with only one bullet and then point the muzzle at your head and pull the trigger
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acrobatic feat, acrobatic stunt
a stunt performed by an acrobat
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type of:
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accomplishment, achievement
the action of accomplishing something
Pronunciation
US
/ˈɛfərt/
UK
/ˈɛfət/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘effort'.
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