lift a finger
idiom
: to make an effort to do something
—usually used in negative statements
I have so many chores to do, and my sister won't lift a finger to help me.
He never lifted a finger to try to improve his failing grades.
Examples of lift a finger in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Shure’s popper stopper and digital denoiser work their magic in cleaning up your signal without requiring you to lift a finger.
—
Phil Nickinson, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2025
This system works with Alexa and Google assistant for quick temperature adjustments that won’t require you to lift a finger.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2025
The Bourbon Butlers offer our guests a turnkey way to engage with all Bardstown has to offer, without having to lift a finger.
—Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Ted Cruz has been leading the fight to get south Texas the water it is owed, but Sleepy Joe refused to lift a finger to help the Farmers.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lift a finger
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Phil Nickinson, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2025
This system works with Alexa and Google assistant for quick temperature adjustments that won’t require you to lift a finger.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2025
The Bourbon Butlers offer our guests a turnkey way to engage with all Bardstown has to offer, without having to lift a finger.
—Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Ted Cruz has been leading the fight to get south Texas the water it is owed, but Sleepy Joe refused to lift a finger to help the Farmers.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lift a finger
Cite this Entry
“Lift a finger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lift%20a%20finger. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share