attempt
word
/əˈtɛmpt/
uh-TEMPT
/ɐtˈɛmpt/
uh-TEMPT
Definition
An attempt is an act of trying to do something, especially something difficult. As a verb, it means to try to do something or make an effort to achieve it.
Usage & Nuances
Common in both formal and neutral English. As a noun, it often appears in patterns like 'make an attempt' and 'on the first attempt'. As a verb, 'attempt' is more formal than 'try', so in daily conversation people often prefer 'try'. It often suggests difficulty or risk.
Spanish: intento - intentarPortuguese (BR): tentativa - tentarPortuguese (PT): tentativa - tentarChinese (Simplified): 尝试 - 企图Chinese (Traditional): 嘗試 - 企圖Hindi: प्रयास - कोशिश करनाArabic: محاولة - يحاولBengali: প্রচেষ্টা - চেষ্টাRussian: попытка - пытатьсяJapanese: 試み - 試みるVietnamese: nỗ lực - cố gắngKorean: 시도 - 시도하다Turkish: girişim - denemekUrdu: کوشش - کوشش کرناIndonesian: upaya - mencoba
Example Sentences
She made one attempt to lift the box.
basic
I attempted to fix it myself, but I made it worse.
natural
Her first attempt at cooking was actually pretty good.
natural
Nice attempt, but everyone could see what you were doing.
natural
He attempted to call his friend.
basic
This is my second attempt at the test.
basic