despite our efforts

USAGE SUMMARY

'despite our efforts' is a perfectly correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to indicate that, despite your hard work or attempts, something has not achieved the desired result. For example: "Despite our efforts to get the report finished on time, we missed the deadline."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Despite our efforts, the judiciary has refused to order prosecutors to conduct sequential lineups.

The New York Times

He is trembling all the time, despite our efforts to keep him warm.

The Guardian

Unfortunately, despite our efforts, people still gravitate to the best-looking people.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Meanwhile, despite our efforts, students are not getting their money's worth.

The Guardian

"But despite our efforts, demand is rising so acutely that this is having little effect in terms of our workload".

The Guardian

But if we change the ending of his story, if my patient had died despite our efforts, many policy analysts would have called it just that.

The New York Times - Health

"However, despite our efforts to reach an agreement with the IPCC over the last few months, they have now served us with proceedings for a judicial review.

Independent

The Electoral Commission says it offered Cannabis Is Safter Than Alcohol (CISTA) help to send it the right documents "despite our efforts" no financial returns were received.

Independent

Despite our efforts to optimise inoculation, the level of infection remained variable between Pinus radiata clones and Phytophthora pluvialis isolates.

New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science

But despite our efforts, we couldn't decrease the rate of reported flings to a number lower than 10percentt.

TechCrunch

"That is why despite our efforts to contain it, the forest fire has continued in these different areas".

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "despite our efforts" to clearly indicate a contrast between the attempts made and the eventual outcome. It's suitable when highlighting persistence in the face of setbacks.

Common error

Avoid using "despite our efforts" when the attempts were minimal or half-hearted. This phrase implies a substantial and genuine attempt to achieve something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "despite our efforts" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a clause by indicating a condition that contrasts with the expected outcome. Ludwig confirms its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "despite our efforts" is a commonly used and grammatically correct way to express that something has not been achieved or prevented, even after making an attempt. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's versatile and appears frequently in diverse contexts, most commonly in News & Media and Scientific publications. While there are numerous alternatives, such as "in spite of our attempts", the original phrase clearly and effectively conveys a sense of perseverance amidst setbacks.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in spite of our attempts

Replaces "despite" with "in spite of", a synonymous prepositional phrase, maintaining the original meaning.

notwithstanding our endeavors

Substitutes "despite" with "notwithstanding" and "efforts" with "endeavors", offering a more formal tone.

despite our attempts to

Focuses on the attempts by adding "to" indicating a following action.

despite all our work

Simplifies the phrase by using "all our work" instead of "our efforts", keeping the core meaning.

regardless of our hard work

Emphasizes the work involved by using "hard work" instead of the more general "efforts".

even after we tried our best

Rephrases the sentence structure to focus on the act of trying, using a more explicit wording.

even given our dedication

Substitutes efforts for dedication which underlines commitment more than simply actions.

even with our best shots

Uses a more colloquial expression, replacing "efforts" with "best shots", which implies trying one's hardest.

for all our trying

Offers a slightly more informal and concise variation, highlighting the act of "trying".

with all that we did, still

Alters the structure to emphasize the contrast between the actions taken and the outcome.

FAQs

How can I use "despite our efforts" in a sentence?

Use "despite our efforts" to show that something happened or didn't happen even after you tried to make it different. For example, "Despite our efforts, the project failed."

What is a more formal alternative to "despite our efforts"?

A more formal alternative is "notwithstanding our endeavors", which is suitable for academic or professional writing.

How is "in spite of our efforts" different from "despite our efforts"?

"In spite of our efforts" and "despite our efforts" are nearly identical in meaning and can be used interchangeably.

Can I use "despite our efforts" at the beginning of a sentence?

Yes, "Despite our efforts" can be used at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a contrasting outcome.