different between attempt vs lash

English

Etymology

Late 14th century, as Middle English attempten, from Old French atempter, from Latin attempt? (“I try, solicit”), from ad (“to”) + temptare, more correctly tentare (“to try”); see tempt.The noun is from the 1530s, the sense "an assault on somebody's life, assassination attempt" (French attentat) is from 1580.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??t?mpt/
• Rhymes: -?mpt

Verb

attempt (third-person singular simple present attempts, present participle attempting, simple past and past participle attempted)

1. To try.

   I attempted to sing, but my throat was too hoarse.

   to attempt an escape from prison

   • 1842, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Village Blacksmith

     Something attempted, something done, / Has earned a night's repose.
2. (obsolete) To try to move, by entreaty, by afflictions, or by temptations; to tempt.
   • c. 1604, William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

     Yet since I see you fearful, that neither my coat, integrity, nor persuasion can with ease attempt you, I will go further than I meant, to pluck all fears out of you.
3. (archaic) To try to win, subdue, or overcome.

   one who attempts the virtue of a woman
4. (archaic) To attack; to make an effort or attack upon; to try to take by force.

   to attempt the enemy's camp

   • 1830, John Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic

     without attempting his adversary's life

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• take a stab at, take a run at

Translations

Noun

attempt (plural attempts)

1. The action of trying at something. [1530]

   We made an attempt to cross the stream, but didn't manage.

   This poem is much better than the feeble attempt of mine.

   It was worth the attempt.

   No matter how many failed attempts we made, we maintained a positive attitude and tried again and again until we succeeded.
2. An assault or attack, especially an assassination attempt. [1580]
   • 1584 No man can charge us of any attempt against the realm. (Allen's Defence Of English Catholics, cited after Edinburgh review 1883, p. 378)

Usage notes

• Adjectives often applied to "attempt": first, failed, desperate, last, half-hearted, unsuccessful, serious, successful, feeble, new, honest, vain, sincere, ambitious, earnest, clumsy, direct, hard, brilliant, official, useless, clever, sophisticated, amateurish.

Synonyms

• effort
• try

Translations

Further reading

• attempt in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• attempt in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• attempt at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /læ?/
• Rhymes: -æ?

Etymology 1

From Middle English lashe, lasshe, lasche (“a stroke; the flexible end of a whip”), from Proto-Germanic *laskô (“flap of fabric, strap”).
Cognate with Dutch lasch, las (“a piece; seal; joint; notch; seam”), German Low German Laske, Lask (“a flap; dag; strap”), German Lasche (“a flap; joint; strap; tongue; scarf”), Swedish lask (“scarf”), Icelandic laski (“the bottom part of a glove”).

Noun

lash (plural lashes)

1. The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which the blow is given.

   • I observed that your whip wanted a lash to it.

2. (obsolete) A leash in which an animal is caught or held; hence, a snare.
3. A stroke with a whip, or anything pliant and tough.

4. A stroke of satire or sarcasm; an expression or retort that cuts or gives pain; a cut.
5. A hair growing from the edge of the eyelid; an eyelash.
6. In carpet weaving, a group of strings for lifting simultaneously certain yarns, to form the figure.

Translations

Verb

lash (third-person singular simple present lashes, present participle lashing, simple past and past participle lashed)

1. (transitive) To strike with a lash; to whip or scourge with a lash, or with something like one.

   • We lash the pupil, and defraud the ward

2. (transitive) To strike forcibly and quickly, as with a lash; to beat, or beat upon, with a motion like that of a lash.
3. (transitive) To throw out with a jerk or quickly.
4. (transitive) To scold; or to satirize; to censure with severity.

   Synonym: berate

5. (intransitive) To ply the whip; to strike.
6. (intransitive) To utter censure or sarcastic language.

   • To laugh at follies, or to lash at vice.

7. (intransitive, of rain) To fall heavily, especially in the phrase lash down

Synonyms

• (to whip or scourge): Thesaurus:whip

Translations

See also

• lash out

Etymology 2

From Middle French lachier, from Old French lacier (“to lace”)

Verb

lash (third-person singular simple present lashes, present participle lashing, simple past and past participle lashed)

1. (transitive) To bind with a rope, cord, thong, or chain, so as to fasten.

   to lash something to a spar

   lash a pack on a horse's back

Translations

Etymology 3

From Old French lasche (French lâche).

Adjective

lash (comparative more lash, superlative most lash)

1. (obsolete) Remiss, lax.
2. (obsolete) Relaxed.
3. Soft, watery, wet.
   • 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus (Folio Society 2007, p. 211)

     Fruits being unwholesome and lash before the fourth or fifth Yeare.

4. (Ulster) excellent, wonderful

   We’re off school tomorrow, it’s gonna be lash!

   That Chinese (food) was lash!

5. (Britain) Drunk.

Synonyms

• (remiss): at fault, blameworthy, lax, neglectful, negligent, reprehensible
• (relaxed): See Thesaurus:carefree or Thesaurus:calm
• (soft, watery, wet): spongy, squidgy; see also Thesaurus:wet
• (excellent): See Thesaurus:excellent
• (drunk): See Thesaurus:drunk

Anagrams

• Ahls, HALs, HLAs, Sahl, lahs, shal

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English laste, from Old English latost.

Adverb

lash

1. last

Adjective

lash

1. last

Related terms

• lauthest

References

• Jacob Poole (1867) , William Barnes, editor, A glossary, with some pieces of verse, of the old dialect of the English colony in the baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, J. Russell Smith, ?ISBN