English

Noun

effort ‎(plural efforts)

1. 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. B. Maxwell, chapter 23, in The Mirror and the Lamp:

     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.

   • 2011 June 22, Press Association, “Manchester United offer Park Ji-sung a new two-year contract”, in The Guardian:

     The 30-year-old South Korean, who joined United in 2005, retired from international duty after last season's Asian Cup in an effort to prolong his club

   • 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.

2. An endeavour.

   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.

3. A force acting on a body in the direction of its motion.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Rankine to this entry?)

Usage notes

• Adjectives often used with "effort": conscious, good, poor, etc.

Synonyms

• struggle

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

effort ‎(third-person singular simple present efforts, present participle efforting, simple past and past participle efforted)

1. (uncommon, intransitive) To make an effort.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To stimulate.
   • Fuller

     He efforted his spirits.

Statistics

French

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French esfort, from esforcier. Compare Spanish esfuerzo, Catalan esforç, Portuguese esforço, Italian sforzo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.fɔʁ/
• Rhymes: -ɔʁ

Noun

effort m ‎(plural efforts)

1. effort

Related terms

• efforcer

Anagrams

• offert

Middle French

Etymology

Old French.

Noun

effort m (plural effors)

1. strength; might; force
2. (military) unit; division

References

• effort on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330-1500) (in French)

Old French

Noun

effort m ‎(oblique plural efforz or effortz, nominative singular efforz or effortz, nominative plural effort)

1. Alternative form of esfort