effort

/ˈefət/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈefərt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈe-fərt -ˌfȯrt/ (ame, mw)

effort — 名詞

  • effortsingular
  • effortsplural

1. the use of your physical or mental strength to do something that takes energy or

1.名詞A2
釋義

努力

達成目標所需的身心付出

the use of your physical or mental strength to do something that takes energy or determination

例句

Selim put a lot of effort into preparing for the marathon.

Selim 為了準備馬拉松投入了大量努力。

put effort into + noun/gerund

The whole team's effort finally paid off when they won the final match.

整個團隊的努力終於有了回報，他們贏得了冠軍賽。

同義詞
  • energy

    focuses on the power you use physically or mentally; effort adds the idea of trying hard

  • exertion

    more formal and usually physical; effort is broader and more common

  • hard work

    emphasises the difficulty rather than the energy spent; interchangeable in many contexts

反義詞
  • ease

    the opposite of requiring effort — something done without difficulty

  • leisure

    free time where no effort is expected

文法句型

put effort into + noun/gerund

make an effort to + infinitive

(subject's) best efforts

用法筆記

This sense is usually uncountable. You put effort into a task, or you make an effort to achieve a goal. The phrase 'despite someone's best efforts' is common in formal and narrative writing.

常見錯誤

❌I did a big effort to finish the project.
✅I put a lot of effort into finishing the project.
💡In English, effort collocates with 'put into' or 'make', not 'do'.

2. something that someone produces by trying, especially when the result is not ver

2.名詞B2
釋義

習作；成果

嘗試的結果，常指水準不高的作品

something that someone produces by trying, especially when the result is not very good or is still at an early stage

例句

Reuben's early efforts at painting looked more like scribbles than art.

Reuben 早期的畫作與其說是藝術，不如說是塗鴉。

early efforts at + noun/gerund

The school play was a fairly amateur effort, but the children loved performing it.

學校的話劇是一部相當業餘的習作，但孩子們很喜歡演出。

同義詞
  • attempt

    focuses on the act of trying rather than the result; effort in this sense emphasises what was actually produced

  • output

    mostly used for measurable or professional results; less personal than effort

  • product

    more neutral and commercial; effort carries the connotation of the work put in

文法句型

(possessive) + (adjective) + effort

first/early/literary effort

用法筆記

This countable sense is often accompanied by adjectives like first, early, amateur, or poor to indicate the quality or stage of the product. It is frequently used to describe creative or artistic work.

3. something that is mentally or physically hard to do and makes you feel tired, bo

3.名詞B1
釋義

費力的事

做起來困難或累人的事情

something that is mentally or physically hard to do and makes you feel tired, bored, or frustrated

例句

Getting up at five every morning is a real effort for Eleni.

對 Eleni 來說，每天早上五點起床是一件很吃力的事。

be a(n) (real) effort

Kemi found it an effort to stay awake during the long safety training.

Kemi 覺得在漫長的安全訓練中保持清醒是一件苦差事。

find it an effort to + infinitive

同義詞
  • struggle

    stronger, implying constant difficulty; effort is milder and about the task being tiring

  • chore

    a boring, routine task; effort is broader and can include mental difficulty

文法句型

be an effort

worth the effort

find it an effort to + infinitive

用法筆記

This sense almost always appears with the indefinite article an ('be an effort'). The dummy subject 'it' is common ('it is an effort to…'). The fixed phrase 'worth the effort' evaluates whether a difficult task was worthwhile.

常見錯誤

❌It is effort to get up early.
✅It is an effort to get up early.
💡In this sense, the indefinite article is required.
❌The effort is worth it.' (when talking about difficulty)
✅It is worth the effort.
💡'Worth the effort' is the standard fixed phrase for evaluating difficulty against reward.

4. an organized activity where many people cooperate to reach a common aim, for exa

4.名詞B2
釋義

行動；運動

一群人為達成共同目標而組織的活動

an organized activity where many people cooperate to reach a common aim, for example raising money, providing aid, or winning an election

例句

The international relief effort brought food and medicine to thousands of families.

國際救援行動為數千個家庭送來了食物和藥品。

relief effort / aid effort

Defne volunteered as part of the community effort to clean up the local park.

Defne 自願加入了清理當地公園的社區活動。

community effort + to + infinitive

同義詞
  • campaign

    more specific to political, marketing, or military contexts; effort is broader and can describe any collective project

  • drive

    often used for fundraising or collection activities; effort can mean any organized activity

  • initiative

    suggests a new, forward-looking start; effort implies ongoing activity toward a goal

文法句型

(goal noun) + effort

effort + to + infinitive

join/lead/organize an effort

用法筆記

This sense is common in news and formal writing. The specific goal is usually indicated by a preceding noun: relief effort, fundraising effort, election effort, marketing effort. The verb collocates are often join, lead, organize, or coordinate.