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attempt
Synonyms:

(verb) assay, endeavor, essay, seek, strive, try.

(noun) assay [archaic], bash [chiefly British], bid, crack, endeavor, essay, fling, go, offer, pass, shot, stab, trial, try, whack, whirl.

Related Words:

(verb) attack, bid, experiment, header, pursue, struggle, solicit, tackle, undertake.

(noun) attack, bid, exertion, experiment, lick, pursuit, struggle, tryout, undertaking, workout.

Synonym Study 1 (Dictionary.com):

Try, attempt, endeavor, and strive all mean to put forth an effort toward a specific end.

Try is the most often used and most general term:
to try to decipher a message; to try hard to succeed.

Attempt, often interchangeable with try, sometimes suggests the possibility of failure and is often used in reference to more serious or important matters:
to attempt to formulate a new theory of motion.

Endeavor emphasizes serious and continued exertion of effort, sometimes aimed at dutiful or socially appropriate behavior:
to endeavor to fulfill one's obligations.

Strive, stresses persistent, vigorous, even strenuous effort, often in the face of obstacles:
to strive to overcome a handicap.

Synonym Study 2 (Merriam-Webster):

Attempt, try, endeavor, essay, and strive mean to make an effort to accomplish an end.

Attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort:
will attempt to photograph the rare bird.

Try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something:
tried to determine which was the better procedure.

Endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty:
endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains.

Essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting:
will essay a dramatic role for the first time.

Strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort:
continues to strive for peace.
 
Origin:

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Anglo-French atempter from Latin attemptāre “to test, tamper with.” See at-, tempt. Dictionary 2: C14: from Old French attempter, from Latin attemptāre to strive after, from tentāre to try. —Dictionary.com. // 

First Known Use of attempt: Verb: 14th century. Noun: circa 1534. History and Etymology for attempt: Verb and Noun: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French attempter, from Latin attemptare, from ad- + temptare to touch, try — more at tempt. —Merriam-Webster.

Sources: 1, 2.

attempt
verb
noun
​synonyms
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