What does "endeavor" mean?
A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous effort towards a specific goal; assiduous or persistent activity.
Endeavor
/ɪnˈdɛv.ə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous effort towards a specific goal; assiduous or persistent activity.
- Grammar: endeavor is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: attempt, effort, enterprise, strive.
- Useful contrasts: abandon, apathy, carelessness.
- Usage evidence: Dieting takes up so much human endeavor with so little to show for it.
How to use "endeavor"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "endeavor" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "endeavor" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "endeavor" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "endeavor" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "endeavor" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "attempt" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "endeavor", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous effort towards a specific goal; assiduous or persistent activity. US
"My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer: Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity."
- 2 earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something wordnet
- 3 a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness) wordnet
Verb
- 1 To exert oneself. US, obsolete
- 2 attempt by employing effort wordnet
- 3 To attempt through application of effort (to do something); to try strenuously. US, intransitive
- 4 To attempt (something). US, obsolete, transitive
- 5 To work with purpose. US
"He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record. With this biological framework in place, Corning endeavors to show that the capitalist system as currently practiced in the United States and elsewhere is manifestly unfair."
Antonyms
Example
"Dieting takes up so much human endeavor with so little to show for it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "endeavor"?
Common synonyms include: attempt, effort, enterprise, strive, try, activity.
How do you use "endeavor" in a sentence?
Dieting takes up so much human endeavor with so little to show for it.
How do you pronounce "endeavor"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈdɛv.ə/.
Etymology
The verb is from Middle English endeveren (“to make an effort”); the noun is from Middle English endevour, from the verb. Endeveren is from (putten) in dever (“(to put oneself) in duty”), from in + dever (“duty”), partially translating Middle French (se mettre) en devoir (de faire) (“(to make it) one's duty (to do), to endeavour (to do)”) (from Old French devoir, deveir (“duty”)).