effort

noun

1. The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.

   “make an effort”

   “take a lot of effort”

   “put in effort”

   “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.”

   “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.”

   “But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.”

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

   “the two bodies between which the effort acts”

verb

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

   “When old, he lived in London where, being High-minded and Poor, he was exposed to the contempt of disingenuous persons. Yet he efforted his Spirits with a Commemoration of the Days of Old.”