attempt

1 of 2

verb

at·​tempt ə-ˈtem(p)t How to pronounce attempt (audio)
attempted; attempting; attempts
Synonyms of attemptnext

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 How to pronounce attempt (audio)
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

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
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
Former Louisville pediatrician Stephanie Russell will be sent to federal prison after pleading guilty and admitting to stalking her ex-husband and attempting to hire someone to kill him. —Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024 Progress Arizona, a 501(C)(4) nonprofit group, is attempting to channel that energy. —The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for attempt 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attempt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of attempt was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing attempt

Dictionary Entries Near attempt

attemperator

attempt

attempted

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Attempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attempt. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

attempt

1 of 2 verb
at·​tempt ə-ˈtem(p)t How to pronounce attempt (audio)
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on attempt

Nglish: Translation of attempt for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of attempt for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about attempt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

What’s the difference between ‘hillbilly’ and ‘redneck’?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

9 Superb Owl Words

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

10 Words for Lesser-Known Games and Sports

Your Favorite Band is in the Dictionary

Etymologies for Every Day of the Week
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...