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effort
/ˈɛfət/
When referring to physical or mental exertion, 'effort' is often used as an uncountable noun (e.g., "This requires a lot of effort"). When referring to a specific attempt or a completed work, it is used as a countable noun (e.g., "It was a valiant effort").
💬Casual Conversation
The client just sent the draft. It's a total mess.
Honestly, it's a brave effort. Let's just pivot and fix it.
Meanings
Examples
It took a lot of effort to clean this house.
Please make an effort to be on time tomorrow.
Look, I put in the effort, but it just failed!
Honestly, this painting is a brave effort, but it's messy.
I can't even find the effort to get out of bed.
Your effort in this group project has been zero, Sarah!
She put so much effort into the party decorations.
I'm making a real effort to stop shouting at you!
Collocations & Compounds
concerted effort
A determined and joint attempt made by a group of people.
strenuous effort
An attempt requiring great physical or mental exertion.
make an effort
To try hard to do something.
joint effort
An activity done by two or more people working together.
valiant effort
A brave and determined attempt, often despite the likelihood of failure.
Idioms & Sayings
make an effort
To try hard to do something.
concerted effort
A joint or coordinated attempt made by a group of people.
worth the effort
Justifying the amount of work or energy spent to achieve it.
put effort into
To devote time and energy to a particular task or goal.
Cultural Context
Have you ever wondered why a handmade gift, even if slightly clumsy, often feels more precious than a flawless store-bought item? Or why we feel a deeper sense of accomplishment after a grueling hike to a summit than we do when taking a cable car to the top? This is the phenomenon known as the "Effort Justification" effect—a psychological bias where people place a disproportionately high value on an outcome if it required significant effort to achieve.
At its core, effort justification is a mechanism to resolve cognitive dissonance. When we invest a tremendous amount of mental or physical energy into a goal, our brains struggle to reconcile that expenditure with a mediocre result. To avoid the uncomfortable feeling that we have wasted our resources, our minds subconsciously inflate the value of the achievement. We tell ourselves, "This project was incredibly difficult, therefore it must be incredibly important." In this way, the effort itself becomes the source of the reward, rather than just the end goal.
This principle is vividly seen in high-stakes environments like elite military training or rigorous academic programs. The 'hazing' rituals or brutal boot camps aren't just about skill acquisition; they are designed to create a powerful psychological bond and an intense loyalty to the group. Because the initiate had to put in so much effort to be accepted, they value their membership in that community far more than if it had been handed to them freely.
In our modern era of 'instant gratification' and frictionless technology, we are seeing a paradoxical rise in the desire for 'slow' movements—like artisanal baking or analog photography. We are rediscovering that the human spirit craves the resistance of effort. Without the struggle, the victory feels hollow. By embracing the grind, we aren't just achieving a goal; we are constructing our own identity through the very act of exertion.