strain after/for effect
Definition
› to try so hard to entertain that it seems false: I find his style of writing so artificial - he always seems to be straining for effect.Trying and making an effortEffort and expending energy
(Definition of strain after/for effect from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Browse related topics
You are looking at an entry to do with Trying and making an effort, but you might be interested in these topics from the Doing and achieving topic area:
- Abstaining and refraining
- Acting and acts
- Avoiding action
- Becoming better
- Cancelling and interrupting
- Competing and contending (non-sporting)
- Coping and not coping
- Delaying and wasting time
- Describing the leading position
- Efficient and effective
- Expressions telling people to hurry up
- Failing and doing badly
- Failures
- Getting involved for one's own benefit or against others' will
- Hesitating
- Higher and lower points of achievement
- Hurrying and doing things quickly
- Making progress and advancing
- Making things better
- Performing a function
- Potential
- Reacting and responding
- Repeating an action
- Succeeding, achieving and fulfilling
- Success and achievements
- Successful (things or people)
- Surpassing in quality or number
- Taking part and getting involved
- Unsuccessful (people and things)
- Waiting
- Ways of achieving things
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SMART Thesaurus
Synonyms and related words:
- a blitz on sth idiom
- all-out adjective
- assault noun
- attempt noun
- attempt verb
- bash noun (ATTEMPT)
- foray noun (ATTEMPT)
- get off your backside idiom
- get your act together idiom
- get your head down idiom
- give it a whirl idiom
- give sth your best shot idiom
- go for sth phrasal verb (TRY)
- pursuer noun (ATTEMPT)
- pursuit noun (ATTEMPT)
- push your luck idiom
- put your back into sth idiom
- put your best foot forward idiom
- stick to sth phrasal verb
- summon verb (PRODUCE STRENGTH)
Topic:
Trying and making an effort
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