What does attempting mean?
Attempting is the present participle and gerund of the verb attempt, meaning to make a deliberate effort to achieve something, particularly when success is not guaranteed. It covers everything from everyday endeavors, such as attempting a new recipe, to serious undertakings like attempting a mountain climb or a world record. In legal English, it has a technical force: attempting a crime denotes taking substantial steps toward committing it, even if the crime itself never occurs. The word carries a neutral tone but often conveys determination against difficulty, since people rarely speak of attempting things that are easy or certain. Derived from Latin through Old French, it shares roots with tempt, reflecting the idea of testing or trying. Its versatility across ordinary, athletic, scientific, and legal registers makes it a durable and useful word for describing human effort in the face of uncertainty.
Making an effort or endeavoring to do something, especially something difficult.
"She is attempting her first marathon this spring."
The act of trying or endeavoring to accomplish something.
"Attempting without preparation rarely leads to success."
Strip away its first two letters and "attempting" becomes "tempting" — a reminder that every attempt begins with a temptation to try.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of attempting
Attempting comes from the Latin verb attemptare, formed from ad- (toward) plus temptare (to test, try, or tempt), which passed into Old French as attempter before entering Middle English. The same Latin root gives us tempt and contempt, preserving the ancient sense of probing or testing. English has used forms of attempt since roughly the late fourteenth century, with cognate forms appearing across Romance languages such as French tenter and Spanish tentar.
Related word forms
How attempting is actually used
Neutral to formal in register; common in both everyday speech and legal contexts, where phrases like "attempting murder" carry precise statutory meanings. Often implies uncertainty about success, so it can subtly suggest doubt about the outcome.
Easily confused with attempting
"Tempting" means attractive or alluring, while "attempting" means making an effort to do something; they differ by only one letter but share no meaning.