Synonyms of endeavor

endeavor 1 of 2

noun

as in attempt

an effort to do or accomplish something

the hope that this latest endeavor will yield much information about the atmosphere of the planet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attempt
• try
• stab
• bid
• go
• offer
• essay
• trial
• pass
• shot
• assay
• undertaking
• struggle
• crack
• bash
• fling
• striving
• whirl
• whack
• throes
• trial and error

endeavor

2 of 2

verb

in-ˈde-vər 

1

as in to strive

to devote serious and sustained effort

the trapped climber endeavored mightily to get the boulder to budge

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strive
• struggle
• labor
• work
• try
• toil
• tug
• slave
• plow
• hustle
• sweat
• dig (away)
• travail
• plod
• plug
• slog
• beaver (away)
• drudge
• bang away
• hump
• strain
• moil
• grub
• peg (away)
• apply (oneself)
• essay
• exercise
• sweat blood
• buckle (down)
• attack
• exert
• fag
• pitch in
• dig in
• drive
• scratch
• hammer (away)
• eke out
• grind (out)
• wade
• knuckle down
• trudge
• overwork
• overexert
• put out
• scrabble

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• break
• ease (up)
• slacken
• let up
• hang (around or out)
• shirk
• rest
• lounge
• goof (off)
• idle
• bum
• hack (around)
• chill
• slack (off)
• relax
• loaf
• unwind
• play
• repose
• bask
• laze
• dabble
• hang
• dillydally
• trifle
• loll
• veg out
• fool around
• dally
• goldbrick
• goof (around)
• footle
• mess around
• hang about
• doodle
• putter (around)
• monkey (around)
• potter (around)
• fribble

2

as in to attempt

to make an effort to do

our club is forever endeavoring to find ways to raise more money for activities

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attempt
• try
• strive
• seek
• essay
• shoot for
• shoot at
• hope
• assay
• struggle
• work
• undertake
• aim
• have a go at
• toil
• try one's hand (at)
• trouble
• fight
• aspire
• take up
• assume
• strain

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quit
• give up
• drop

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb endeavor differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of endeavor are attempt, essay, strive, and try. While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

Where would attempt be a reasonable alternative to endeavor?

The synonyms attempt and endeavor are sometimes interchangeable, but attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

When might essay be a better fit than endeavor?

Although the words essay and endeavor have much in common, essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

In what contexts can strive take the place of endeavor?

The meanings of strive and endeavor largely overlap; however, strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

continues to strive for peace

How do try and attempt relate to one another, in the sense of endeavor?

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of endeavor

Noun

The military’s use of horses, donkeys, and mules continued to decrease over the ensuing decades, with the equines primarily relegated to non-combat endeavors and ceremonial processions. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 July 2025

So creating models that are predictive of real-world systems, to me, was just an incredibly fascinating endeavor. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 9 July 2025

Verb

More than 6,000 brands have been rated so far, with staffers generally endeavoring to update scores every 12 to 18 months to judge progress (or backsliding, as the case may be). —Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025

Set against the backdrop of golden-age Hollywood, and woven with intimate family exchanges and a search for truth, Hargitay endeavors to reclaim her mother’s story — and her own. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025