effort
A2Neutral; used across all registers from casual to formal.
Definition
Meaning
A conscious exertion of physical or mental energy to achieve something.
The result or product of trying hard; a serious attempt, often in the face of difficulty.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can be both countable ('an effort', 'several efforts') and uncountable ('without much effort'). Often implies difficulty overcome or the expenditure of significant energy.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Minor differences in collocational frequency (e.g., 'make an effort' is slightly more common than 'put forth effort' in UK English).
Connotations
Equally positive when describing diligence; equally negative when describing something clumsy as 'effortful'.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
make an effort to INFINITIVEeffort at VERB-ingeffort by NOUNwith/without effortVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a last-ditch effort”
- “an all-out effort”
- “to spare no effort”
- “a futile effort”
- “to bend one's efforts to something”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to project work, team collaboration, or market penetration (e.g., 'Our sales effort is focused on Europe').
Academic
Describing research work, intellectual labour, or analytical attempts (e.g., 'The scholar's effort to reconcile the theories was commendable').
Everyday
Commonly used for chores, learning, fitness, or simple tasks (e.g., 'It took a real effort to get out of bed this morning').
Technical
In physics/engineering, can mean force applied; in computing, can refer to development work (e.g., 'The programming effort required six person-months').
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The rescue effort was hampered by the weather.
- She won the race with surprising ease, showing no visible effort.
- His latest effort at baking a cake was more successful.
American English
- The fundraising effort brought in over a million dollars.
- Getting the project approved required a major lobbying effort.
- He made an effort to call his parents every Sunday.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Thank you for your effort.
- It was a good effort, but the cake is a bit burnt.
- He made an effort to be nice.
- The team's efforts finally paid off when they won the contract.
- With a bit more effort, you could pass that exam.
- It's a pointless effort to try to change his mind.
- The government is intensifying its efforts to tackle the housing crisis.
- The sheer effort of will required to complete the marathon was immense.
- Their collaborative effort resulted in a groundbreaking paper.
- The diplomatic effort to de-escalate the conflict was fraught with complexity.
- Her latest literary effort has been panned by the critics for its lack of originality.
- The initial effort estimation for the software module was wildly optimistic.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
EFFORT sounds like 'I fought', which is what you do when you put in a lot of effort.
Conceptual Metaphor
EFFORT IS A PHYSICAL SUBSTANCE ('pool their efforts'), EFFORT IS A JOURNEY ('the peace effort is underway'), EFFORT IS A VALUABLE COMMODITY ('a waste of effort').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'эффект' (effect).
- Do not use 'effort' for a one-time quick action; Russian 'попытка' is better translated as 'attempt'.
- Remember that 'effort' is uncountable when speaking generally about energy expended.
Common Mistakes
- *He did a big effort. (Correct: He made a big effort.)
- *It needs a lot of efforts. (Correct: It needs a lot of effort / many efforts.)
- *I will effort to do it. (Correct: I will make an effort to do it. / I will try to do it.)
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a typical collocation with 'effort'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be both. As a general concept of energy expended, it's uncountable ('It requires effort'). When referring to specific attempts or instances, it's countable ('She made several efforts to contact him').
'Effort' focuses more on the energy, work, or difficulty involved. 'Attempt' focuses more on the action of trying itself, regardless of how much energy is used. An attempt can be effortless.
No, 'effort' is not a standard verb. You must use phrases like 'make an effort', 'try', or 'endeavour'.
It's often used to praise someone's try, especially a child's, even if the result wasn't perfect. It acknowledges the work put in rather than just the outcome.