effort

effort主要是“为了完成某事而投入的力气”，既可指实际付出的努力，也可指一次尝试或成果；在物理学中还可指推动物体运动的力。

💡 记忆钩子

把effort想成推一扇很重的门：你用上的力气是“努力”，这次推门的行动是“一番尝试”，在物理学里则是沿运动方向作用的“力”。

📝 学习建议

先掌握名词的“努力、付出”义，再学习“一次尝试”义；物理学义和动词义放到阅读中辨认即可。
不要把effort只理解成已经取得的成果；它通常强调为做成某事所投入的力气，也可以指一次行动或尝试。

📖 中文释义

noun

core 努力；付出

📖 指为了完成活动、解决问题或达到目标而投入的力气、时间和精力，重点在“推门时用上的劲”，不一定表示最后成功。

💡 常用“make an effort to do something”表示“努力做某事”，也可说“put effort into something”表示“在某事上投入努力”。它通常是可数的，尤其指一次具体的努力；不要直接套用中文“下很大努力”的结构，而应使用自然的固定搭配。

She made a real effort to arrive on time.

她确实努力按时到达了。

A little effort can make a big difference.

稍微努力一点就能带来很大的改变。
common 尝试；成果

📖 指某人为了实现目标而进行的一次具体尝试，也可以泛指这次行动本身及其表现；即使没有成功，也能称为一番努力。

💡 常用“someone’s effort at something”或“an effort to do something”来说明尝试的对象。这个意义常用于评价某人的表现，语气比单纯说“努力”更像是在谈一项具体行动或作品。不要默认它表示成功的成果。

Her first effort at painting impressed everyone.

她第一次尝试画画就给大家留下了深刻印象。
rare 作用力

📖 在物理学语境中，指沿物体运动方向作用在物体上的力；这是从“推动时用上的力气”发展出的专业义。

efforts plural

verb

rare 努力

📖 指作出努力、尽力去做某事，是名词“努力”义的动词用法，但现代英语中不常见。

💡 可见于“effort to do something”这一少见结构，表示“努力做某事”。它带有不常用的色彩，学习和写作时不要用它替代更自然的常见表达。中文学习者尤其容易因为名词义熟悉而过度使用这个动词。

intransitive uncommon
rare 鼓舞；增强

📖 旧用法，指使精神或力量得到增强、振作起来；可看作把“用力推动”转向推动人的状态。

💡 这是过时的及物用法，通常只在历史文献或仿古文字中出现。现代英语中不要把它当作普通的“鼓舞”或“增强”动词使用。

obsolete transitive

efforts present,singular,third-person efforting participle,present efforted participle,past efforted past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 4 组

a notable achievement;

同义词集: feat effort exploit

he performed a great feat

the book was her finest effort

上位: accomplishment, achievement 下位: hit, rally, rallying, stunt

use of physical or mental energy; hard work;

同义词集: effort elbow grease exertion travail sweat

he got an A for effort

they managed only with great exertion

上位: labor, labour, toil 下位: application, detrition, difficulty, diligence, exercise, exercising, friction, overkill, physical exercise, physical exertion, pull, rubbing, strain, straining, struggle, trouble, workout

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; ;

同义词集: attempt effort endeavor endeavour try

made an effort to cover all the reading material

wished him luck in his endeavor

she gave it a good try

上位: activity 下位: batting, battle, best, bid, contribution, crack, essay, fling, foray, go, liberation, nisus, offer, pains, part, pass, play, power play, run, seeking, share, shot, squeeze, squeeze play, stab, strain, striving, struggle, test, trial, whirl, worst

a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; ; ; ;

同义词集: campaign cause crusade drive movement effort

he supported populist campaigns

they worked in the cause of world peace

the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant

the movement to end slavery

contributed to the war effort

上位: venture 下位: campaigning, candidacy, candidature, consumerism, electioneering, feminism, feminist movement, political campaign, reform, war, women's lib, women's liberation movement

🌳 词源

源自中古法语effort，最终与拉丁语中表示“向外”和“强壮”的词素有关。

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).

🔄 变式

efforted past efforting present efforts plural

🏷 单词标签 & 词根