attempt

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: at=tempt
• COUNT in NET: 9 in 9 verses (in OT : 6 in 6 verses) (in NT : 3 in 3 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

attempt, v. t. [OF. atenter, also spelt atempter, F. attenter, fr. L. attentare to attempt; ad + tentare, temptare, to touch, try, v. intens. of tendere to stretch. See Tempt, and cf. Attend.].

•  To make trial or experiment of; to try; to endeavor to do or perform (some action); to assay; as, to attempt to sing; to attempt a bold flight.  [1913 Webster]

  "Something attempted, something done,
  Has earned a night's repose."  [1913 Webster]
•  To try to move, by entreaty, by afflictions, or by temptations; to tempt.  [1913 Webster]

  "It made the laughter of an afternoon
  That Vivien should attempt the blameless king."  [1913 Webster]
•  To try to win, subdue, or overcome; as, one who attempts the virtue of a woman.  [1913 Webster]

  "Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further:
  Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute."  [1913 Webster]
•  To attack; to make an effort or attack upon; to try to take by force; as, to attempt the enemy's camp.  [1913 Webster]

  "Without attempting his adversary's life."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- See Try.

attempt, v. i. 

 To make an attempt; -- with upon.  Sir T. Browne.  [1913 Webster]

attempt, n. 

 A essay, trial, or endeavor; an undertaking; an attack, or an effort to gain a point; esp. an unsuccessful, as contrasted with a successful, effort.  [1913 Webster]
"By his blindness maimed for high attempts."  [1913 Webster]

Attempt to commit a crime (Law), such an intentional preparatory act as will apparently result, if not extrinsically hindered, in a crime which it was designed to effect. Wharton.

Syn. -- Attempt, Endeavor, Effort, Exertion, Trial

OXFORD DICTIONARY

attempt, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 (often foll. by to + infin.) seek to achieve or complete (a task or action) (attempted the exercise; attempted to explain).
2 seek to climb or master (a mountain etc.).
--n. (often foll. by at, on, or to + infin.) an act of attempting; an endeavour (made an attempt at winning; an attempt to succeed; an attempt on his life).

Idiom

attempt the life of archaic try to kill.

Derivative

attemptable adj.

Etymology

OF attempter f. L attemptare (as AD-, temptare TEMPT)

THESAURUS

attempt

accept, affair, aim to, approach, assault, assay, assume, attack, attempt to, begin, beginning, bid, buckle to, business, care, chance, commence, commencement, commitment, contract, crack, dare, dare to, deal, effort, embark in, embark upon, endeavor, engage, engage in, engagement, enter on, enter upon, enterprise, essay, experiment, fall into, fall to, fling, gambit, get under way, go, go about, go at, go in for, go into, go upon, hassle, have at, hazard, inaugurate, initiate, initiation, launch forth, launch into, lay about, lick, lift a finger, make an attempt, make an effort, make bold, make free, move, move into, obligation, offer, operation, pains, pitch into, plan, plunge into, presume, pretend, pretend to, proceed to, program, project, proposition, seek, seek to, set about, set at, set forward, set going, set to, shot, shy, stab, start, step, strive, strive to, striving, stroke, strong bid, struggle, study to, tackle, take on, take the liberty, take up, task, tentative, trial, trial and error, trouble, try, try and, try to, turn to, undertake, undertaking, venture, venture on, venture to, venture upon, whack, work

ROGET THESAURUS

attempt

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.