physical or mental exertion, usually considerable when unqualified a determined attempt achievement; creation
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
ef•fort /ˈɛfɚt/USA pronunciation
n.
ef•fort•less•ly, adv. See -fort-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- the use of physical or mental power:[uncountable]It will take great effort to achieve a victory.
- [countable] a try;
an attempt. - [countable] something done by hard work.
ef•fort•less•ly, adv. See -fort-.
ef•fort
(ef′ərt),USA pronunciation n.
- 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.
- British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]
- an organized community drive or achievement.
- a fund-raising drive.
- Mechanicsthe force or energy that is applied to a machine for the accomplishment of useful work.
- Middle French; Old French esfort, esforz, derivative of esforcier to force (es- ex-1 + forcier to force)
- 1480–90
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged struggle, striving. 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.
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