Effort1. (n.) An exertion of strength or power, whether physical or mental, in performing an act or aiming at an object; more or less strenuous endeavor; struggle directed to the accomplishment of an object; as, an effort to scale a wall.
2. (n.) A force acting on a body in the direction of its motion.
3. (v. t.) To stimulate.
Thesaurus Entries
accomplished fact, accomplishment, achievement, act, acta, action, ad hoc measure, adventure, affair, answer, application, approach, artifice, assay, attainment, attempt, bid, blow, business, chore, commitment, contract, contrivance, countermove, coup, course of action, crack, creation, deal, dealings, deed, demarche, determination, device, dodge, doing, doings, elbow grease, endeavor, energy, engagement, enterprise, essay, exertion, expedient, experiment, exploit, fait accompli, feat, fling, force, gambit, gest, gimmick, go, hand, handiwork, hard pull, improvisation, job, jury-rig, jury-rigged expedient, labor, last expedient, last resort, last shift, lick, long pull, makeshift, maneuver, means, measure, might, might and main, move, muscle, nerve and sinew, obligation, offer, operation, overt act, pains, passage, performance, pis aller, plan, power, proceeding, production, program, project, proposition, puissance, res gestae, resolution, resort, resource, shake-up, shift, shot, solution, stab, step, stopgap, strain, stratagem, striving, stroke, stroke of policy, strong bid, struggle, stunt, tactic, task, temporary expedient, tentative, thing, thing done, toil, tour de force, transaction, travail, trial, trial and error, trick, trouble, trump, try, turn, undertaking, venture, whack, while, work, working hypothesis, working proposition, works