attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.
will attempt to photograph the rare bird
try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.
tried to determine which was the better procedure
endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.
endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains
essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.
will essay a dramatic role for the first time
strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.
continues to strive for peace
Example Sentences
Verb They've attempted a climb up Mount Everest once before. She attempted suicide early in their marriage. Noun She failed her driving test on the first attempt but she succeeded on her second attempt. Her attempt at a home-cooked meal consisted of frozen fish sticks and a can of soup.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
For his next trick, Mr. Biden will now attempt to persuade voters that his historic binge of spending on politically correct infrastructure and inefficient energy production will restrain prices. James Freeman, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 Georgia made a statement against Oregon in Week 1, and Alabama will attempt to do the same here with ESPN GameDay in town. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2022 Next spring, British sailor Andrew Bedwell will attempt to break the record for sailing across the Atlantic, in a boat that’s just 39 inches long. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 6 Sep. 2022 For those found violating the curfew, Philadelphia police will attempt to reunite them with their families at home or a precinct or bring them to one of several community centers that have been established during the curfew. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2022 Naturally, amateur fans and professional pundits alike will attempt to draw long-term conclusions from the small sample size of action just witnessed. Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2022 Now, Hernández will attempt to do the same in 2023 — at a time when the Sox roster faces a potentially significant period of turnover. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022 The Virtual Telescope Project will attempt to share live views of Orion on its way to the moon shortly after launch. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Sep. 2022 The Space Launch System rocket, or SLS, will attempt to send the capsule around the moon and back. Marcia Dunn, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Aug. 2022
Noun
Meanwhile, an attempt to jettison ballast (unnecessary objects) to correct course and shorten the return journey to six months instead of three years backfired spectacularly. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Sep. 2022 For instance, Emily (Alexis Bledel) is sent to the colonies after a failed escape attempt, and an affair with a Martha for which she'd already been brutally punished with a clitoridectomy. Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Sep. 2022 Senate testimony on Elon Musk’s attempt to back out of his $44 billion deal to buy the social-media company. Cara Lombardo, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 Sure enough, Denver attempted a 64-yard field goal attempt — and missed, sealing the win for Seattle. Matthew Vantryon, USA TODAY, 13 Sep. 2022 Perhaps this an attempt at universality, a bid to win audience affection. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2022 But America's attempt to bring him to justice, in a legal sense, has taken much, much longer. Larry Neumeister, Chron, 11 Sep. 2022 Mayor Lori Lightfoot has proposed putting a dome over Soldier Field, a last-ditch attempt to persuade the McCaskeys to stick around with yet another facelift. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2022 The Wildcats drove to the Carlsbad 23 with 4:02 to play, but a fourth-and-14 pass attempt — after a Weirich sack — was broken up by Justus Woods. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French attempter, from Latin attemptare, from ad- + temptare to touch, try — more at tempt