effort

effort — noun

1. the use of your physical or mental strength to do something that takes energy or

1.nounA2
Definition

the use of your physical or mental strength to do something that takes energy or determination

Example

Selim put a lot of effort into preparing for the marathon.

put effort into + noun/gerund

The whole team's effort finally paid off when they won the final match.

Common collocations
  • great effort
  • considerable effort
  • put effort into
  • spare no effort
  • make every effort
  • best efforts
Synonyms
  • energy

    focuses on the power you use physically or mentally; effort adds the idea of trying hard

  • exertion

    more formal and usually physical; effort is broader and more common

  • hard work

    emphasises the difficulty rather than the energy spent; interchangeable in many contexts

Antonyms
  • ease

    the opposite of requiring effort — something done without difficulty

  • leisure

    free time where no effort is expected

Grammar Patterns

put effort into + noun/gerund

make an effort to + infinitive

(subject's) best efforts

Usage Note

This sense is usually uncountable. You put effort into a task, or you make an effort to achieve a goal. The phrase 'despite someone's best efforts' is common in formal and narrative writing.

Common Mistakes

I did a big effort to finish the project.
I put a lot of effort into finishing the project.
In English, effort collocates with 'put into' or 'make', not 'do'.

2. something that someone produces by trying, especially when the result is not ver

2.nounB2
Definition

something that someone produces by trying, especially when the result is not very good or is still at an early stage

Example

Reuben's early efforts at painting looked more like scribbles than art.

early efforts at + noun/gerund

The school play was a fairly amateur effort, but the children loved performing it.

Common collocations
  • first effort
  • early effort
  • amateur effort
  • literary effort
  • written effort
  • poor effort
Synonyms
  • attempt

    focuses on the act of trying rather than the result; effort in this sense emphasises what was actually produced

  • output

    mostly used for measurable or professional results; less personal than effort

  • product

    more neutral and commercial; effort carries the connotation of the work put in

Grammar Patterns

(possessive) + (adjective) + effort

first/early/literary effort

Usage Note

This countable sense is often accompanied by adjectives like first, early, amateur, or poor to indicate the quality or stage of the product. It is frequently used to describe creative or artistic work.

3. something that is mentally or physically hard to do and makes you feel tired, bo

3.nounB1
Definition

something that is mentally or physically hard to do and makes you feel tired, bored, or frustrated

Example

Getting up at five every morning is a real effort for Eleni.

be a(n) (real) effort

Kemi found it an effort to stay awake during the long safety training.

find it an effort to + infinitive

Common collocations
  • be an effort
  • worth the effort
  • too much effort
  • quite an effort
  • real effort
Synonyms
  • struggle

    stronger, implying constant difficulty; effort is milder and about the task being tiring

  • chore

    a boring, routine task; effort is broader and can include mental difficulty

Grammar Patterns

be an effort

worth the effort

find it an effort to + infinitive

Usage Note

This sense almost always appears with the indefinite article an ('be an effort'). The dummy subject 'it' is common ('it is an effort to…'). The fixed phrase 'worth the effort' evaluates whether a difficult task was worthwhile.

Common Mistakes

It is effort to get up early.
It is an effort to get up early.
In this sense, the indefinite article is required.
The effort is worth it.' (when talking about difficulty)
It is worth the effort.
'Worth the effort' is the standard fixed phrase for evaluating difficulty against reward.

4. an organized activity where many people cooperate to reach a common aim, for exa

4.nounB2
Definition

an organized activity where many people cooperate to reach a common aim, for example raising money, providing aid, or winning an election

Example

The international relief effort brought food and medicine to thousands of families.

relief effort / aid effort

Defne volunteered as part of the community effort to clean up the local park.

community effort + to + infinitive

Common collocations
  • relief effort
  • fundraising effort
  • election effort
  • marketing effort
  • community effort
  • war effort
  • rescue effort
Synonyms
  • campaign

    more specific to political, marketing, or military contexts; effort is broader and can describe any collective project

  • drive

    often used for fundraising or collection activities; effort can mean any organized activity

  • initiative

    suggests a new, forward-looking start; effort implies ongoing activity toward a goal

Grammar Patterns

(goal noun) + effort

effort + to + infinitive

join/lead/organize an effort

Usage Note

This sense is common in news and formal writing. The specific goal is usually indicated by a preceding noun: relief effort, fundraising effort, election effort, marketing effort. The verb collocates are often join, lead, organize, or coordinate.

Idioms

Word family

  • effortless
    adjectiveB2
  • effortlessly
    adverbB2
  • effortful
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Effort, energy, exertion, and hard work all relate to using your physical or mental resources, but they differ in focus. Effort adds the idea of willpower and determination — you push yourself to achieve something. Energy is the raw capacity you have; a task can require lots of energy without feeling like an effort if you enjoy it. Exertion is more formal and tends to describe physical strain ('The exertion of climbing left him breathless'). Hard work emphasises the difficulty or duration rather than the mental push ('Years of hard work built the business'). In practice: 'She put tremendous effort into learning Mandarin' highlights her determination; 'She had the energy to study all night' highlights her capacity; 'Studying was hard work' highlights the difficulty.

effort ↗energy ↗exertionhard work

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make an effort
  • put effort into
  • spare no effort
  • make every effort
  • take the effort to
  • be worth the effort

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Effort entered English in the 15th century from Old French 'esforz', meaning 'force, exertion'. The French word came from Latin 'ex-' (out) + 'fortis' (strong), literally meaning 'a putting forth of strength'. The original sense was purely physical — applying force to overcome resistance. By the 17th century, the meaning had expanded to include mental exertion and organised undertakings, giving us the four main senses in use today.