spare the effort

USAGE SUMMARY

"spare the effort" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is usually used to suggest that one should not bother expending energy or time on something, as it is not likely to be successful. For example, "Let's spare the effort and just order take-out for dinner tonight."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

She was working long hours when pregnant with her first child, and was glad to be spared the effort of comparing prices and going out shopping.

BBC

Although not a supporter of a planned economy, Putin spared the effort of a fundamental transformation.

Huffington Post

That he should reach his conclusion so confidently and so early on would, you'd think, spare him the effort of engaging seriously with religion and spare us the effort of reading the rest of the book.

The Guardian - Books

But please, spare yourself the effort of posting a comment to say that Keynesian stimulus programs don't work or that a return to the Gold Standard is our only salvation.

The New Yorker

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or Maldef, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of the Redondo Beach laborers, recently sent letters to a dozen of those communities, demanding that they erase these unconstitutional blots from their books and spare themselves the effort and expense of litigation that they would certainly lose.

The New York Times

"If the Iranians will just be patient," veteran commentator Yaron London remarked this week, "they can spare themselves the effort involved in developing an atomic bomb".

Huffington Post

The United Nations hopes not only to reduce the rates of death and disease, but to spare the poor the difficult effort now often required to obtain a basic necessity like water.

The New York Times

House Vote on Treatment Of Detainees Is Delayed The House Republican leadership delayed a vote on a proposed ban against cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners in American custody, and Democrats called it an effort to spare the vice president a defeat.

The New York Times

Earlier in the day, Missouri officials made a last-ditch effort to spare the levee when the state's attorney general turned to the United States Supreme Court, asking it to overturn a day-old order from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that had allowed the corps to proceed with the operation.

The New York Times

The memo was sent in an effort to spare the White House embarrassment, "if the circumstances of Corporal Tillman's death become public".

Huffington Post

In an effort to spare the battleship from scrapping, citizens of Massachusetts pooled resources to raise money for her transfer to the Massachusetts Memorial Committee, and in 1965 the Navy formally donated the battleship to the committee.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the tone. While generally acceptable, ensure "spare the effort" aligns with the desired level of formality for your audience.

Common error

Avoid using "spare the effort" in highly formal or professional communications where a more sophisticated vocabulary is expected. Alternatives such as "refrain from undertaking" or "decline to pursue" may be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "spare the effort" functions as an idiomatic expression used to discourage expending energy or time on something perceived as futile or unnecessary. As noted by Ludwig AI, it suggests that the action isn't worth the investment. Ludwig examples demonstrate its usage in news and general contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "spare the effort" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase for suggesting that a particular action is not worth pursuing. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the expression is primarily found in News & Media contexts, though it appears in other sources as well. While generally acceptable, it's advisable to consider the formality of the situation and choose a more sophisticated alternative for formal communication. The phrase serves the purpose of advising against a fruitless endeavor, saving time and resources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

don't bother trying

A direct way to discourage someone from attempting something.

save your energy

Focuses on conserving one's energy resources.

avoid the trouble

Focuses on avoiding inconvenience rather than effort specifically.

skip the hassle

Emphasizes avoiding complications and minor difficulties.

forego the attempt

Suggests abandoning an attempt before it even begins.

decline to undertake

A more formal way of saying to refuse to start something.

omit the task

Focuses on removing a task from a set of actions.

refrain from exertion

Highlights avoiding physical or mental strain.

abstain from endeavor

A formal way to express avoiding trying something.

ditch the endeavor

Suggests abruptly abandoning an attempt or project.

FAQs

How can I use "spare the effort" in a sentence?

You can use "spare the effort" to suggest that an action is unnecessary or unlikely to yield results. For example, "Let's "don't bother trying" to fix it; it's beyond repair, so we should just spare the effort and buy a new one".

What are some alternatives to "spare the effort"?

Some alternatives include "avoid the trouble", "skip the hassle", or "save your energy", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "spare the effort" appropriate for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "spare the effort" may be too informal for certain formal contexts. Consider using more sophisticated alternatives like "decline to undertake" or "refrain from exertion" in such situations.

What is the difference between "spare the effort" and "save the effort"?

"Spare the effort" suggests avoiding the action altogether, while "save the effort" implies postponing or redirecting the effort to a more appropriate time or task. "Spare" means don't do it. "Save" means do it later.