Endeavor

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: en=deav=or

CIDE DICTIONARY

Endeavor, v. t. [OE. endevor; pref. en- + dever, devoir, duty, F. devoir: cf. F. se mettre en devoir de faire quelque chose to try to do a thing, to go about it. See Devoir, Debt.].

 To exert physical or intellectual strength for the attainment of; to use efforts to effect; to strive to achieve or reach; to try; to attempt.  [1913 Webster]
"It is our duty to endeavor the recovery of these beneficial subjects."  [1913 Webster]

To endeavor one's self, to exert one's self strenuously to the fulfillment of a duty. [Obs.] “A just man that endeavoreth himself to leave all wickedness.” Latimer.

Endeavor, v. i. 

 To exert one's self; to work for a certain end.  [1913 Webster]
"And such were praised who but endeavored well."  [1913 Webster]
"He had . . . endeavored earnestly to do his duty."

Syn. -- To attempt; try; strive; struggle; essay; aim; seek.

Endeavor, n. [Written also endeavour.].

 An exertion of physical or intellectual strength toward the attainment of an object; a systematic or continuous attempt; an effort; a trial.  [1913 Webster]
"To employ all my endeavor to obey you."  [1913 Webster]

To do one's endeavor, to do one's duty; to put forth strenuous efforts to attain an object; -- a phrase derived from the Middle English phrase “to do one's dever” (duty). “Mr. Prynne proceeded to show he had done endeavor to prepare his answer.” Fuller.

Syn. -- Essay; trial; effort; exertion. See Attempt.

THESAURUS

Endeavor

accept, accomplished fact, accomplishment, achievement, act, acta, action, address, adventure, aim, aim to, apply, approach, aspire, assay, assume, attack, attempt, attempt to, be determined, bid, blow, buckle down, buckle to, coup, crack, dare to, dealings, deed, determine, doing, doings, effort, elbow grease, embark in, embark upon, energy, engage in, enter on, enter upon, enterprise, essay, exertion, experiment, exploit, fait accompli, fall into, fall to, feat, fling, gambit, gest, get under way, go, go about, go all out, go at, go in for, go into, go upon, hand, handiwork, hard pull, hassle, have at, hump, hump it, intend, job, knuckle down, labor, launch forth, launch into, lay about, lay to, lick, long pull, make an effort, maneuver, measure, might and main, move, move into, muscle, nerve and sinew, offer, operation, overt act, pains, passage, performance, pitch into, plunge into, ply the oar, pretend to, proceed to, proceeding, production, purpose, push, res gestae, resolve, seek, seek to, set about, set at, set forward, set going, set to, shot, spare no effort, stab, step, strain, strive, strive to, striving, stroke, strong bid, struggle, study, study to, stunt, sweat, sweat blood, tackle, take on, take up, tentative, thing, thing done, toil, tour de force, transaction, travail, trial, trial and error, trouble, try, try and, try to, turn, turn to, undertake, undertaking, venture, venture to, venture upon, whack, work, works

ROGET THESAURUS

Endeavor

Pursuit

VB pursue, prosecute, follow, run after, make after, be after, hunt after, prowl after, shadow, carry on, engage in, set about, endeavor, court, seek, aim at, follow the trail, fish for, press on, run a race, chase, give chase, course, dog, hunt, hound, tread on the heels, follow on the heels of, rush upon, rush headlong, ride full tilt at, run full tilt at, make a leap at, jump at, snatch at run down, start game, tread a path, take a course, hold a course, shape one's steps, direct one's steps, bend one's steps, course, play a game, fight one's way, elbow one's way, follow up, take to, take up, go in for, ride one's hobby.

Essay

N essay, trial, endeavor, attempt, aim, struggle, venture, adventure, speculation, coup d'essai, debut, probation, essaying, experimental, tentative, empirical, probationary, experimentally, on trial, at a venture, by rule of thumb, if one may be so bold, aut non tentaris aut perfice, chi non s'arrischia non guadagna.

VB try, essay, experiment, endeavor, strive, tempt, attempt, make an attempt, venture, adventure, speculate, take one's chance, tempt fortune, try one's fortune, try one's luck, try one's hand, use one's endeavor, feel one's way, grope one's way, pick one's way, try hard, push, make a bold push, use one's best endeavor, do one's best.