EFFORT Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

effort

noun

ˈe-fərt

Definition of effort

as in work

the active use of energy in producing a result the finished parade float was well worth the effort

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of effort The discipline and economy of Rosenwald’s philanthropy also provide a chastening contrast to our current hidebound efforts to help people. — Harold Pollack, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026 The group’s survey efforts are mostly organized into 17 clusters, each containing 12 to 16 individual collection sites spread out in a grid of roughly 14 square miles. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026 Unexploded ordnance from World War II in the forest hampered firefighting efforts, German news agency dpa reported. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 In the process, the rise of this offshore world also led directly to the undoing of all the efforts to hold oligarchs and their wealth to account. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for effort

Recent Examples of Synonyms for effort

Noun

For models such as DeepSeek and its distilled versions, the engineer estimated that two or three developers could complete the transition with roughly an additional month of work.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
Many health workers have gone on strike to protest not being paid for their work since the outbreak was declared.

— CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of work

Noun

Many people would be deliciously tired after such wholesome exertion and not want to spend their evenings raking over the past with a chatty English journalist.

— Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
Perhaps the palm-tree mural emphasizes the open windowlessness of the subterranean, or the flat color dulls exertion.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of exertion

Noun

Partial drafts of his work were carried along with him, soaked in Salinger’s sweat and imbued with his raw, instinctive reactions to conflict.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Oh, and sweat, bacne, thigh chafing, and, in some cases, a smattering of pesky little bumps in the area above your upper thigh and below your buttcheeks.

— Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of sweat

Browse Nearby Words

effluvium

effort

effortful

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Effort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effort. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of effort

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on effort

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

circumscribe

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes