superfluous effort

USAGE SUMMARY

"superfluous effort" is correct and can be used in written English.
It can be used to describe activity that is not necessary or that is only used for show. For example, "John was making a superfluous effort to impress his boss."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"The superfluous effort is not simply wasteful: it also poses the added threats of confusion and inconsistent results," Wiley wrote in his decision.

The New York Times - Sports

Meanwhile the director, Anthony Wonke, splices in news footage of generals and politicians discussing the lofty goals of the fighting, along with high aerial shots of the landscape, in a superfluous effort to make a point about big pictures and small pictures.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Although it is commonly recommended, forming an item pool can be inefficient if it duplicates previous successful efforts and superfluous if less successful than previous efforts.

BMC Health Services Research

One of the main findings was that "the... smells appear to be superfluous for explaining maintenance effort".

Journal of Software Engineering Research and Development

Where pure beauty resides, some efforts are completely superfluous.

Huffington Post

And though the idea was to promote the lackluster romance novels the company published -- an objective that made the phrase "original films" superfluous -- one imagines such an effort could have been put to better use.

The New York Times

Clips from the galas are mixed in with shots of men laboring, first with hand tools and then with machines that shave coal off the tunnel walls like ice, seemingly rendering human effort almost if never entirely superfluous.

The New York Times

Yet postelection surveys suggested that much of the candidates' efforts in the final weeks were superfluous, as nearly 80percentt of voters said they had made up their minds before the final month of the campaign.

The New York Times

A second effort addressed the question of how to identify redundant or superfluous features.

Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence

It would be easy to say that Mr. Sierra's efforts make everything else here seem a bit superfluous, but that's what life tends to do to art.

The New York Times - Arts

The land was sold as part of the state's effort to divest itself of property attached to mental hospitals that has become superfluous as the number of people being treated in the hospitals has declined drastically.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing, use "superfluous effort" to critique elements that add unnecessary complexity or cost to a process.

Common error

Avoid using "superfluous effort" interchangeably with phrases like "necessary effort". "Superfluous effort" implies the effort is completely unnecessary, not just challenging or extensive.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "superfluous effort" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "superfluous" modifies the noun "effort". It identifies an action or exertion that is unnecessary or redundant in achieving a goal. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "superfluous effort" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe unnecessary or redundant actions. While Ludwig AI validates its usability, the phrase appears relatively infrequently, mainly in News & Media and Scientific contexts. When using "superfluous effort", ensure you're highlighting an action that adds no real value. Related phrases include "redundant effort" or "wasteful effort", providing alternative ways to express the same concept.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

redundant effort

Indicates that the effort duplicates previous successful actions.

dispensable effort

Implies the effort is not essential and can be omitted without consequence.

wasteful effort

Highlights the inefficient use of resources in the effort.

undue effort

Conveys that the effort is more than what is reasonably expected or required.

extraneous effort

Suggests the effort is irrelevant or not directly related to the main goal.

excessive effort

Focuses on the intensity and magnitude of the effort being beyond what's necessary.

worthless effort

Suggests the effort yields no positive result or value.

useless effort

Indicates the effort is unproductive and futile.

pointless effort

Emphasizes the lack of a clear or valuable objective for the effort.

futile effort

Stresses the inevitable failure or ineffectiveness of the effort.

FAQs

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

You can use "superfluous effort" to describe actions that are unnecessary or redundant. For example, "The director's attempts to add extra scenes were a "superfluous effort" since the story was already complete."

What are some alternatives to "superfluous effort"?

Alternatives include "redundant effort", "unnecessary effort", or "wasteful effort", each emphasizing the lack of value or need for the exertion.

When is it appropriate to use "superfluous effort"?

It is appropriate when you want to highlight that certain actions or endeavors provide no additional value and are essentially a waste of resources. For instance, "Adding more features at this stage would be a "superfluous effort"."

Is "superfluous effort" considered formal or informal language?

"Superfluous effort" can be used in both formal and informal contexts, although it's more commonly found in formal writing due to the word "superfluous". Consider the audience and context when deciding whether to use it.