Attempt
Pronunciation
- IPA: /əˈtɛmpt/
- Rhymes: -ɛmpt
Origin
Late 14th century, from Old French atempter, from Latin attemptÅ ("I try, solicit"), from ad ("to") + temptare, more correctly tentare ("to try"); see tempt.
The noun is from the 1530s, the sense "an assault on somebody's life, assassination attempt" (French attentat) is from 1580.
Full definition of attempt
Verb
- To try.I attempted to sing, but my throat was too hoarse.to attempt an escape from prison
- LongfellowSomething attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose. - 2013, Sarah Glaz, Ode to Prime Numbers, Some poems, echoing the purpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes’ cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes.
- A group of 80 budding mountaineers attempted Kilimanjaro, but 30 of them didn't make it to the top.
- (obsolete) To try to move, by entreaty, by afflictions, or by temptations; to tempt.
- ThackerayIt made the laughter of an afternoon
That Vivien should attempt the blameless king. - (archaic) To try to win, subdue, or overcome.one who attempts the virtue of a woman
- ShakespeareDear sir, of force I must attempt you further:
Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute. - (archaic) To attack; to make an effort or attack upon; to try to take by force.to attempt the enemy's camp
- Motleywithout attempting his adversary's life
Usage notes
This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See
Synonyms
Noun
attempt
(plural attempts)- The action of trying at something. 1530
- We made an attempt to cross the stream, but didn't manage.
- This poem is much better than the feeble attempt of mine.
- It was worth the attempt.
- 2012-03, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, The British Longitude Act Reconsidered, But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea
- An assault or attack, especially an assassination attempt. 1580
- 1584 No man can charge us of any attempt against the realm. (Allen's Defence Of English Catholics, cited after Edinburgh review 1883, p. 378)
Usage notes
Adjectives often applied to "attempt": first, failed, desperate, last, half-hearted, unsuccessful, serious, successful, feeble, new, honest, vain, sincere, ambitious, earnest, clumsy, direct, hard, brilliant, official, useless, clever, sophisticated, amateurish.