meagre effort

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "meagre effort" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an effort that is insufficient or lacking in substance or quality. Example: "Despite the team's enthusiasm, their meagre effort did not yield the desired results."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Seem eager about the potluck and encourage others to bring items to fill up the table - your meagre effort won't be as noticeable.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

"Rat Film" looks critically at the city's meagre efforts to combat rat infestation and the effect on the city's residents (mainly black residents).

The New Yorker

Despite the importance of microsatellite markers, meagre efforts have been made to develop a microsatellite database of the fishes except Danio rerio[ 28], Cyprinus carpio[ 29] and Fishgen [ 30].

BMC Genomics

Last summer, he criticized Jay Z and Beyonce for their meagre social-justice efforts and sparked, among other things, a cross-generational Twitter fight within black America.

The New Yorker

As a result, Jefferson's diplomatic overtures to establish a market for American tobacco and to reopen French ports to whale oil produced meagre results, his efforts to create an alliance of American and European powers to contest the terrorism of the Barbary pirates proved stillborn, and his vision of open markets for all nations, a world without tariffs, seemed excessively visionary.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Most recently, he acted as special commissioner at Italy's football association, where he was drafted in to sort out the mess after a massive match-rigging scandal exploded earlier this year.Alas, his efforts to bleach football's dark stains produced the same meagre results as his other efforts to get Italian business and finance to change its ways.

The Economist

His directorial downfall wasn't quite immediate enough to make it a perfect fit (the decent enough Rumble Fish was still to come), but his post-Apocalypse efforts have been meagre and mostly mediocre.

The Guardian - Film

That reversed the meagre gains of timid land-reform efforts in the past.

The Economist

Despite such efforts, the nation's meagre water resources are under increasing pressure to meet its urban-industrial demands as well.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The results of this long campaign were meagre.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"La Rosée blanche" is also overshadowed by the heavy death-toll of the 1914-18 warelationshipstionships are tough: the effort involved in scratching a meagre living from unco-operative soil leaves little room for feelings.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "meagre effort", ensure the context clearly indicates what the expected or desired level of effort was. This helps emphasize the inadequacy of the actual effort.

Common error

Avoid using "meagre effort" when the intention is to describe an activity that requires small effort, but is sufficient for its purpose. "Minimal effort" might be more suitable in such cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "meagre effort" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "meagre" modifies the noun "effort". Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. The phrase describes an action or endeavor considered insufficient or inadequate.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

25%

Encyclopedias

25%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Science

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "meagre effort" is a grammatically sound and readily understandable expression used to denote an inadequate attempt or undertaking. Ludwig AI confirms the correct usage of this phrase, although its frequency is relatively low. The phrase is versatile enough for use across different contexts, from news reports to encyclopedic entries, but ensure that the context clearly defines the expected level of effort to highlight the inadequacy effectively. While similar phrases exist, such as "minimal attempt" or "paltry attempt", "meagre effort" carries a nuanced implication of insufficiency that makes it particularly useful for critical evaluations. Keep in mind that it is most commonly found in sources like News & Media, Encyclopedia and Wiki.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

minimal attempt

Emphasizes the small amount of effort put forth.

slight endeavor

Highlights the limited scope and impact of the undertaking.

paltry attempt

Stresses the insignificance and inadequacy of the effort.

insufficient undertaking

Focuses on the inadequacy of the effort to achieve the desired outcome.

limited exertion

Highlights the small amount of energy expended.

feeble try

Implies weakness and a lack of strength in the effort.

inadequate attempt

Directly points out the lack of quality or completeness in the effort.

scant work

Emphasizes the small amount of work completed.

trivial endeavor

Suggests that the effort was insignificant and unimportant.

modest undertaking

Highlights the unpretentious and limited nature of the effort.

FAQs

How can I use "meagre effort" in a sentence?

You can use "meagre effort" to describe an attempt or undertaking that is insufficient or lacking in substance. For example, "Despite the team's enthusiasm, their "meagre effort" did not yield the desired results."

What can I say instead of "meagre effort"?

You can use alternatives like "minimal attempt", "paltry attempt", or "insufficient undertaking" depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is "meagre effort" formal or informal?

"Meagre effort" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although it might sound slightly more formal than some of its alternatives. The context of the writing will largely determine its appropriateness.

What is the difference between "meagre effort" and "minimal effort"?

While both phrases denote a small amount of effort, "meagre effort" often implies that the effort was inadequate or insufficient for the task at hand. "Minimal effort", on the other hand, can simply mean that only a small amount of effort was required or expended, without necessarily implying inadequacy.