attempt

verb at·tempt \ ə-ˈtem(p)t \

|Updated on: 21 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: attempt in a Sentence

Definition of attempt

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

play \-ˈtem(p)-tə-bəl\ adjective

See attempt defined for English-language learners

See attempt defined for kids

Examples of attempt in a Sentence

They've attempted a climb up Mount Everest once before.
She attempted suicide early in their marriage.

Recent Examples of attempt from the Web

Her friends attempted to find her, but were not successful.

— jackson cote, BostonGlobe.com, "NH kayaker drowns in Piscataquog River," 14 July 2018
That evening, the indictment says, the Russians attempted to break into email accounts used by Clinton's personal office, along with 76 Clinton campaign email addresses.

— CBS News, "Trump responds to Russian hacking indictment by blaming Obama administration," 14 July 2018
Each campaign attempted to portray itself as a vessel for everyday people.

— anthony man, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Bill Nelson announces impressive fundraising haul; still dwarfed by Rick Scott," 13 July 2018
Johnson is attempting to follow up last year's victory in the PGA Senior Women's Championship with a win in another new major senior tournament.

— gene chamberlain, chicagotribune.com, "Laura Davies, Trish Johnson share U.S. Senior Women's Open lead at Chicago Golf Club," 13 July 2018
Some passengers, in fear, attempted to escape through the train’s windows.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "Acid-tripping neo-Nazi from Missouri disabled train to ‘save it from black people,’ feds say," 13 July 2018
Chamberlain’s public defender, Bradley Bridge, did not attempt to defend the shooting, which took place when Sultan Jihad was on his way home from Cooke Middle School.

— samantha melamed, Philly.com, "After 26 years working with at-risk teens, can a Philly couple forgive the one who killed their son?," 13 July 2018
But while Blair was busy blocking critics on Twitter, many others attempted to shout to the millions of Twitter users the thread had attracted that this wasn't some meet-cute romance story.

— taylor lorenz, The Atlantic, "Unidentified Plane Bae Woman's Statement Confirms the Worst," 13 July 2018
These days, the world attempts to return us to our Lord in ever more violent ways.

— sadia hassan, Longreads, "Silence is a Lonely Country: A Prayer in Twelve Parts," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attempt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of attempt

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French attempter, from Latin attemptare, from ad- + temptare to touch, try — more at tempt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

attempt Synonyms

Synonyms

assay, endeavor, essay, seek, strive, try;

Near Antonyms

drop, give up, quit;

aim, aspire, hope;

assume, take up, undertake;

Phrases

have a go at, shoot at (or shoot for), try one's hand (at);

Synonym Discussion of 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

attempt

noun

Definition of attempt

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

See attempt defined for English-language learners

Examples of attempt in a Sentence

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 of attempt from the Web

There, protesters banged pots and pans and played recordings of crying children separated from their parents at the Mexican border in an attempt to keep him awake.

— ceylan yeginsu, New York Times, "London’s ‘Trump Baby’ Balloon Flies as Protests Take Off Across U.K.," 13 July 2018
In an attempt to be ecumenical, a second example comes to mind: Former GOP Rep. Ray LaHood, who ran the Obama Transportation Department.

— holman w. jenkins, WSJ, "Why an Antitrust Farce Must Continue," 13 July 2018
Zottola could be seen rolling on the pavement in an attempt to avoid the bullets.

— Fox News, "Shocking video shows attempted hit on son of Bonanno crime family associate," 13 July 2018
On Friday morning, he was taken to a military exercise in an attempt to show that Britain is tough on terrorism, followed by an afternoon meeting at Chequers.

— seung min kim, Washington Post, "After disparaging his hosts, Trump meets with Theresa May," 13 July 2018
Instead, the Spurs center jumped in an over-ambitious attempt to go get the ball and came crashing to the court.

— jeff mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "Metu’s misfortune means missed opportunity for Spurs’ second-rounder," 12 July 2018
On trade, Trump has slapped tariffs on imports from allies in an aggressive attempt to win an opening for more exports of US products and services.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "Trump’s demand for reciprocity with allies," 12 July 2018
According to court documents obtained by TMZ and the New York Times, McCoy is suing Cordon in an attempt to remove her from the home.

— rob tornoe, Philly.com, "LeSean McCoy domestic abuse allegations: What we know," 12 July 2018
In some cases, domestic producers have revved up production in an attempt to meet demand, though not enough to stave off price increases.

— adam vaccaro, BostonGlobe.com, "Tariffs are making it more expensive to build in Boston — and that could push rents even higher," 12 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of attempt

see ¹attempt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1534

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

attempt Synonyms

ATTEMPT Defined for English Language Learners

attempt

verb

Definition of attempt for English Language Learners

: to try to do (something) : to try to accomplish or complete (something)

attempt

noun

Definition of attempt for English Language Learners

: an act of trying to do something
: something that results from trying to do something

ATTEMPT Defined for Kids

attempt

verb at·tempt \ ə-ˈtempt \

Definition of attempt for Students

attempted; attempting

: to try to do, accomplish, or complete

attempt to win

attempt

noun

Definition of attempt for Students

: the act or an instance of trying to do something They made two attempts to climb the mountain.

Law Dictionary

attempt

noun at·tempt

legal Definition of attempt

: 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.