Useful alternatives to “Attempt” include “Effort”, “Try”, and “Endeavor”. “Attempt” can be a noun for an effort or a verb meaning to try. These alternatives vary in formality and emphasis.
Which Option Best Fits “Attempt”?
Use “Effort” for an exertion made toward achieving something; “Try” for a straightforward everyday attempt; and “Endeavor” for a serious or sustained effort. The list below separates these shades rather than treating every option as interchangeable.
- Effort
- Try
- Endeavor
- Bid
- Venture
- Trial
- Experiment
- Undertaking
- Initiative
- Pursuit
- Strive
- Set out to
Effort
Effort fits “Attempt” when you mean an exertion made toward achieving something. Use it when that particular nuance is important.
Example: The revised sentence uses “Effort” to capture the intended sense of “Attempt.”
Try
Try fits “Attempt” when you mean a straightforward everyday attempt. It works best where the surrounding sentence supports that meaning.
Example: In this context, “Try” expresses the relevant meaning of “Attempt.”
Endeavor
Endeavor fits “Attempt” when you mean a serious or sustained effort. This makes it more precise than a purely decorative substitution.
Example: The editor chose “Endeavor” because it matched the intended sense of “Attempt.”
Bid
Bid fits “Attempt” when you mean an attempt to achieve or obtain something. Check the surrounding grammar before treating it as interchangeable.
Example: Here, “Bid” is used where the broader wording “Attempt” would be less precise.
Venture
Venture fits “Attempt” when you mean an attempt involving uncertainty or risk. The context should make this narrower sense clear.
Example: The example sentence uses “Venture” for the particular meaning of “Attempt” being discussed.
Trial
Trial fits “Attempt” when you mean an attempt used to test whether something works. It is most natural when that distinction matters to the reader.
Example: In the final draft, “Trial” replaces “Attempt” only in the sense supported by the context.
Experiment
Experiment fits “Attempt” when you mean a test or attempt designed to learn something. This wording is useful when precision matters more than simple variety.
Example: The writer selected “Experiment” to make the intended meaning of “Attempt” more explicit.
Undertaking
Undertaking fits “Attempt” when you mean a task or project that someone commits to. Choose it only when the sentence genuinely carries that implication.
Example: For this usage, “Undertaking” gives the sentence the specific meaning required.
Initiative
Initiative fits “Attempt” when you mean a new effort or action intended to achieve a result. Its value comes from the specific shade of meaning it adds.
Example: The wording “Initiative” fits because the surrounding sentence points to that sense of “Attempt.”
Pursuit
Pursuit fits “Attempt” when you mean an effort directed toward a goal over time. This is strongest when the subject and register suit the term.
Example: In this example, “Pursuit” is the context-sensitive choice rather than a universal substitute for “Attempt.”
Strive
Strive fits “Attempt” when you mean make a determined effort. It can sound more exact than the original wording in the right setting.
Example: The sentence uses “Strive” to express one distinct sense associated with “Attempt.”
Set out to
Set out to fits “Attempt” when you mean begin with the intention of doing something. The full sentence should confirm that this is the intended sense.
Example: Here, “Set out to” works because the context narrows the meaning of “Attempt.”
Choosing the Right Word for “Attempt”
Choose the term that matches the exact sense and grammatical role in your sentence. For “Attempt,” meaning should take priority over surface similarity.