attempt
B1Neutral to formal; common in both spoken and written English.
Definition
Meaning
To try to do something, especially something difficult, with effort and intention.
An act of trying to achieve something, often with the possibility of failure; can also refer to an attack or assault in specific contexts (e.g., 'an attempt on someone's life').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies effort and the possibility of failure. As a noun, it can be countable ('three attempts') or uncountable ('without attempt'). The verb is transitive and often followed by an infinitive or noun phrase.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. Spelling is identical. Minor differences in collocational frequency (e.g., 'attempted murder' is a common legal term in both).
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties. Slightly more formal than 'try' in everyday speech.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in written and formal contexts in both varieties. The noun form may be slightly more common in AmE journalistic language (e.g., 'suicide attempt').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
attempt to + INFINITIVEattempt + NOUN (e.g., a task)make an attempt at + GERUND/NOUNVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a last-ditch attempt”
- “an attempt on someone's life”
- “in an attempt to”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in project management and goal-setting: 'We will attempt to increase market share by Q4.'
Academic
Common in research papers: 'The study attempts to prove the correlation.'
Everyday
General use for trying things: 'I'll attempt to fix the bike myself.'
Technical
In computing: 'The server will attempt to reconnect.' In law: 'attempted robbery' is a specific charge.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He will attempt the climb without oxygen.
- The team attempted to break the world record.
- I wouldn't attempt to drive in this snow.
American English
- She attempted the recipe for the first time.
- The lawyers attempted to delay the trial.
- Don't even attempt to park there—it's tow-away zone.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form; 'attemptedly' is non-standard and rare.)
American English
- (No standard adverbial form.)
adjective
British English
- The attempted robbery was caught on CCTV.
- He was charged with attempted fraud.
American English
- It was an attempted coup that failed.
- She survived an attempted kidnapping.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I will attempt to speak English.
- It was my first attempt to bake a cake.
- The attempt failed.
- She made no attempt to hide her disappointment.
- After several attempts, he finally passed his driving test.
- They attempted to reach the summit but turned back due to weather.
- The government's attempt to reform the tax system met with strong opposition.
- All attempts at negotiation have so far been unsuccessful.
- He was convicted of attempted burglary.
- The novel represents a bold attempt to deconstruct traditional narrative forms.
- Her attempt at reconciling the two conflicting theories was widely praised.
- The rescue attempt was fraught with logistical difficulties.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'a tempt'ation to try something. You are tempted to ATTEMPT it.
Conceptual Metaphor
JOURNEY ('a first step'), WAR ('an assault on a problem'), GAME ('another shot at it').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'attempt' for simple, effortless tries (use 'try').
- Do not confuse with 'attack' except in the fixed phrase 'attempt on life'.
- Remember it's more formal than 'пытаться' in many contexts.
Common Mistakes
- *I attempted fixing the car. (Correct: I attempted to fix the car.)
- *She did an attempt. (Correct: She made an attempt.)
- Overusing 'attempt' where 'try' is more natural in informal speech.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'attempt' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'attempt' is generally more formal and implies more concerted effort. 'Try' is neutral and used in all registers.
Yes, it is commonly used as both a countable noun ('three attempts') and a transitive verb ('attempt a task').
Commonly 'at' ('an attempt at cooking') or 'on' ('an attempt on his life'). With the verb, it's usually followed by an infinitive ('attempt to leave').
Yes. An 'attempt' is a single instance of trying to achieve a specific goal. An 'effort' is the energy or work put into trying, or a more general try. You make an attempt; you make an effort or put effort into something.