attempt

1 of 2

verb

at·​tempt ə-ˈtem(p)t 

attempted; attempting; attempts

transitive verb

1

: to make an effort to do, accomplish, solve, or effect

He attempted to swim the swollen river.

2

archaic : tempt

3

archaic : to try to subdue or take by force : attack

attemptable

ə-ˈtem(p)-tə-bəl 

adjective

attempt

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the act or an instance of trying to do or accomplish something : an act or instance of attempting something

She failed the test on her first attempt but passed on her second attempt.

They made an attempt [=tried] to be helpful.

often : an unsuccessful effort

a suicide attempt

b

: something resulting from or representing an attempt

… surrounded by lemon trees and a few attempts at rose bushes.

—Marian Engel

2

: attack, assault

an attempt on the life of the president

Synonyms

Verb

• assay
• endeavor
• essay
• seek
• strive
• try

Noun

• assay [archaic]
• bash [chiefly British]
• bid
• crack
• endeavor
• essay
• fling
• go
• offer
• pass
• shot
• stab
• trial
• try
• whack
• whirl

Choose the Right Synonym for attempt

attempt, try, endeavor, essay, strive mean to make an effort to accomplish an end.

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

Examples of attempt in a Sentence

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

But this is a Hollywood biopic that attempts to cram a very intense four-year period of history into a two-hour-and-21-minute movie. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024

Relying on traditional overbought/indicators in attempting to call the end of this run just hasn’t worked. —Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024

Noun

Witkoff was with Trump during the apparent second assassination attempt on his life, telling NBC that Secret Service agents dived on Trump and got him off his Florida golf course in under 20 seconds. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

As a part of the settlement, the false electors acknowledged their actions were used in an attempt to overturn an election. —Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing attempt

• an attempt on someone's life
• attempt suicide
• made an attempt
• make an attempt
• make an attempt on (someone's) life
• make no attempt

Kids Definition

attempt

1 of 2 verb

at·​tempt ə-ˈtem(p)t 

1

: to try to do or perform

attempt an escape

2

: to make an effort : try

attempt to solve the problem

attempt

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or an instance of attempting

especially : an unsuccessful effort

2

: attack entry 2 sense 1

an attempt on the president's life

Legal Definition

attempt

noun

at·​tempt

: the crime of having the intent to commit and taking action in an effort to commit a crime that fails or is prevented

called also criminal attempt

see also impossibility

Note: There must generally be more than preparation to be guilty of attempt.