endeavour
/enˈdev.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /enˈdev.ɚ/ (ame, ipa) · /ɪnˈdevə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈdevər/ (ame, ipa)
endeavour — 動詞
1. to make a serious and determined effort to do something that requires hard work,
努力；盡力
付出努力嘗試做某事
to make a serious and determined effort to do something that requires hard work, courage, or persistence.
The engineering team endeavoured to complete the bridge before the rainy season arrived.
工程團隊努力在雨季來臨前完成這座橋梁。
endeavour + to-infinitive for formal effort
Christopher endeavoured to learn Japanese by watching films and speaking with native speakers every week.
Christopher 努力透過看電影和每週與母語者交談來學習日語。
The charity endeavours to provide clean drinking water to every village in the region by 2027.
該慈善機構致力於在 2027 年前為該地區每個村莊提供乾淨的飲用水。
Throughout the crisis, the mayor endeavoured to keep the public informed about new safety measures.
在整個危機期間，市長努力讓公眾了解新的安全措施。
- try
less formal and much more common in everyday speech; 'endeavour' sounds more determined and literary
- attempt
also formal, but slightly more neutral; 'attempt' can suggest a single effort whereas 'endeavour' often implies sustained effort
- strive
overlaps closely but tends to emphasise great effort against difficulty; 'strive' is often used with 'towards'
- seek
more indirect — 'seek to do something' means to try to achieve it, but with a sense of aiming rather than labouring
文法句型
endeavour + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Used mainly in formal or written English. In everyday conversation, 'try' or 'attempt' are far more common. Frequently takes a to-infinitive complement; the simple structure 'endeavour + noun' (without 'to') is not grammatical.
常見錯誤
endeavour — 名詞
1. a project, activity, or task that someone works hard at, especially one that is
努力；事業
需付出大量努力的嘗試或活動
a project, activity, or task that someone works hard at, especially one that is ambitious, difficult, or requires sustained effort over time.
Space exploration remains one of the most ambitious scientific endeavours in human history.
太空探索仍是人類史上最宏大的科學事業之一。
adjective + endeavour for describing a major project
Indra put years of work into her artistic endeavour, painting every morning before sunrise.
Indra 花了多年時間投入她的藝術事業，每天日出前都在畫畫。
The new hospital was a joint endeavour between the government and several private donors.
這所新醫院是政府與幾位私人捐助者的合作成果。
In an endeavour to cut traffic accidents, the city installed speed cameras at major intersections.
為了減少交通事故，市政府在主要路口安裝了測速照相機。
- attempt
more general and less formal; an attempt can be brief or half-hearted, whereas an endeavour implies sustained serious effort
- undertaking
very close in meaning; 'undertaking' often emphasises the scale of a project, while 'endeavour' emphasises the effort behind it
- enterprise
suggests boldness, innovation, or risk; used especially for business or scientific projects
- pursuit
focuses on the ongoing nature of the activity (e.g., 'intellectual pursuits') rather than the effort itself
- idleness
the absence of purposeful effort or activity
文法句型
[adjective] + endeavour
endeavour + to-infinitive
in an endeavour to + infinitive
用法筆記
Countable when referring to a specific project or attempt (e.g., 'a joint endeavour'). Uncountable when used abstractly (e.g., 'human endeavour' as a general concept). Often modified by adjectives such as 'ambitious', 'joint', 'risky', 'creative', or 'scientific'.