Dictionary / effort
effort
- noun
- verb
- from Middle French
The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “effort” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.
make an effort
- An endeavor.
Although he didn't win any medals, Johnson's effort at the Olympics won over many fans.
- A force acting on a body in the direction of its motion.
the two bodies between which the effort acts1858, Macquorn Rankine, Manual of Applied Mechanics:
verb
- intransitiveuncommonTo make an effort.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- obsoletetransitiveTo strengthen, fortify or stimulate
Cross-check: WordNet senses (4)
- nounearnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something — also: attempt, endeavor, endeavour, try
- nounuse of physical or mental energy; hard work — also: elbow grease, exertion, travail, sweat
- nouna notable achievement — also: feat, exploit
- nouna series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end — also: campaign, cause, crusade, drive, movement
Synonyms: struggle
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)effort
- Middle Frencheffort
- Old Frenchesfort
- Vulgar Latin*exfortiō
- Latinex + fortis “strong”
From Middle French effort, from Old French esfort, deverbal of esforcier (“to force, exert”), from Vulgar Latin *exfortiō, from Latin ex + fortis (“strong”).
Compare typologically Bulgarian усилие (usilie), Czech úsilí, Polish wysiłek, Russian уси́лие (usílije) (< Proto-Slavic *sila).
Derivatives — words built from “effort”
Phrases & compounds
Want to go deeper? See also “effort” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “effort” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
effort n. [F. effort, OF. esfort, for esfors, esforz, fr. esforcier. See Efforce.]
- An exertion of strength or power, whether physical or mental, in performing an act or aiming at an object; more or less strenuous endeavor; struggle directed to the accomplishment of an object; as, an effort to scale a wall.
effort v. t.
- To stimulate.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.
make an effort
take a lot of effort
nounMeaning: An endeavor.
Although he didn't win any medals, Johnson's effort at the Olympics won over many fans.
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.2012 March 28, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87:
nounMeaning: A force acting on a body in the direction of its motion.
the two bodies between which the effort acts1858, Macquorn Rankine, Manual of Applied Mechanics:
nounMeaning: earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
made an effort to cover all the reading material
nounMeaning: use of physical or mental energy; hard work
he got an A for effort
nounMeaning: a notable achievement
the book was her finest effort
nounMeaning: a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
contributed to the war effort
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
effort
/ˈɛf.ət/
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
effort
/ˈɛf.ət/ · noun, verb
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “effort” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“make an effort”
Circle the meaning used.
“Although he didn't win any medals, Johnson's effort at the Olympics won over many fans.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “effort” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
Read the etymology on the page. What does it tell you about the word’s earlier meaning?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — effort
Which meaning, sentence 1: B. The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.
Which meaning, sentence 2: C. An endeavor.
Origin: D. Middle French (Middle French effort)
Journey: English effort ← Middle French effort ← Old French esfort ← Vulgar Latin *exfortiō ← Latin ex + fortis
Some derivatives: countereffort, effortful, effortless, effortpost
Built from: ex + fortis “strong”
Etymology: From Middle French effort, from Old French esfort, deverbal of esforcier (“to force, exert”), from Vulgar Latin *exfortiō, from Latin ex + fortis (“strong”).
Sources: Wiktionary “effort” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/effort#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/effort