effort
effort
Pronunciation
The word is "effort."
IPA phonetic spelling: /ˈɛfərt/
ef-: /ˈɛf/
/ɛ/ (as in "bet") - a short "e" sound
/f/ (as in "fan") - a voiceless labiodental fricative
-fort: /ərt/ (often reduced to /ərt/ in American English, or /fɔːt/ in British English for the "fort" part)
/ə/ (schwa) - an unstressed vowel sound, like the "a" in "sofa"
/r/ (as in "red") - a postalveolar approximant
/t/ (as in "top") - a voiceless alveolar stop
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: effort
Plural: efforts
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The exertion of physical or mental energy or power to achieve a goal or overcome a difficulty.
Synonyms: endeavor, struggle, toil, labor, exertion, striving, pains
Antonyms: ease, idleness, laziness, relaxation, inertia, rest
Definition 2: A deliberate attempt or an achievement resulting from such an attempt.
Synonyms: attempt, try, venture, undertaking, exploit, accomplishment, achievement
Antonyms: failure, defeat, setback, collapse, surrender
Examples of Use
Books:
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." (Pele, My Life and the Beautiful Game, October 1977) - This quote, often attributed to Pele, encapsulates the idea of "effort" leading to success.
"The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention." (Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way, 1992) – While not directly using the word, the entire premise of the book encourages consistent "effort" in creative practice.
Newspapers:
"The government has launched a concerted effort to reduce inflation by implementing stricter fiscal policies." (The Wall Street Journal)
"Despite a valiant effort, the local football team fell short in the championship game, losing by a single goal." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"Scientists are making a global effort to develop more sustainable energy sources to combat climate change." (National Geographic Online)
"The recent software update required a significant effort from our development team to ensure a seamless user experience." (TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the movie Apollo 13, the line "Failure is not an option" (1995) reflects the immense effort and determination required by the engineers and astronauts to bring the crew home safely.
Music: The lyrics to Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (2001) repeatedly emphasize the idea of continuous effort and improvement.
Video Games: In many role-playing games, players are rewarded for their "effort" in grinding for experience points or completing challenging quests to upgrade their characters. For example, a pop-up in World of Warcraft might congratulate a player for their "heroic effort" after defeating a difficult boss (ongoing).
Television: Reality competition shows like America's Got Talent frequently highlight contestants' "effort" and dedication in preparing their performances (ongoing).
General Public Discourse:
"It's going to take a lot of effort to clean up the park after the festival this weekend." (Heard in a community meeting)
"I really appreciate your effort to help me with this project, even though it's not directly your responsibility." (Conversation between colleagues)
"The company is making a conscious effort to improve its customer service based on recent feedback." (Statement from a company representative)
10 Quotes Using Effort
"Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential." (Winston Churchill)
"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort." (John Ruskin)
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." (Robert Collier)
"Without effort, you cannot achieve anything." (Sun Myung Moon)
"It takes effort to be present. And it takes effort to be mindful." (Jon Kabat-Zinn)
"Individual effort is a myth. Success is a team sport." (Mandy Hale)
"All effort is in vain unless it is accompanied by prayer." (Pope Paul VI)
"Great efforts come from great passion." (Heraclitus)
"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." (Vince Lombardi) - While this quote is commonly associated with Lombardi and speaks to the concept of effort, the direct word "effort" is not present in the most widely cited versions. Therefore, a suitable alternative is: "Perseverance is the result of continuous effort." (Author Unknown)
"The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving. Try to become a man of value and not in success." (Albert Einstein) - This quote, while profound, does not contain the word "effort." A more fitting quote that uses the word is: "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." (Thomas Edison) - While perspiration directly refers to physical effort, it is a widely recognized quote conveying the idea. A more direct quote is: "The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra effort." (Jimmy Johnson)
Etymology
The word "effort" has a pretty clear family tree that traces back to Latin.
It comes from the Old French word "esfort" (also spelled "esforcier"), which meant "to exert oneself," "to strive," or "to make a strong effort."
This Old French word, in turn, came from the Latin prefix "ex-" meaning "out" or "thoroughly," and the Latin verb "fortis" which meant "strong." So, you can think of "ex-fortis" as literally meaning "to put forth strength" or "to use one's full strength."
The first known use of "effort" in English, with a meaning very close to how we use it today, appeared in the late 14th century. At that time, it meant "an exertion of strength or power, physical or mental, to accomplish something." So, right from its earliest days in English, it was about putting in energy or work to achieve a goal.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Effort
A concerted effort: A joint, determined attempt.
Best effort: The maximum exertion one can make.
Effortless: Done or achieved with ease; requiring no effort.
Give it your best effort: To try as hard as you possibly can.
Half-hearted effort: An attempt lacking enthusiasm or commitment.
Joint effort: Work done by two or more people together.
No effort spared: To do everything possible to achieve a goal.
Put in the effort: To apply energy and dedication to a task.
Sustained effort: Continuous and consistent work over a period.
Team effort: Work accomplished by a group acting together.
Too much effort: Requiring an excessive amount of work or energy.
Worth the effort: Something that justifies the work put into it.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of effort from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
