From Middle French effort, from Old French esfort, deverbal of esforcier ("to force, exert"), from Vulgar Latin *exfortiō, from Latin ex + fortis ("strong").

• (RP) IPA: /ˈɛfət/
• (America) IPA: /ˈɛfɚt/

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[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:

     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.

2. An endeavor.

   Although he didn't win any medals, Johnson's effort at the Olympics won over many fans.

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

• struggle

• French: effort
• German: Anstrengung, Aufwand, Bemühung
• Italian: sforzo
• Portuguese: esforço
• Russian: уси́лие
• Spanish: esfuerzo

effort (efforts, present participle efforting; simple past and past participle efforted)

1. (uncommon, intransitive) To make an effort.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To strengthen, fortify or stimulate