A for effort

UK/ˈeɪ fə ˈɛfət/US/ˈeɪ fəɹ ˈɛfɚt/

phrase

The effort of the attempt was admirable, even though the attempted action failed.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. humorousoftensarcasticThe effort of the attempt was admirable, even though the attempted action failed.

Origin

A reference to how school teachers may unofficially grade a student's effort as a consolation prize, where A is the highest grade of the traditional A-F grading.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

A for effort. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%20for%20effort

MLA

“A for effort.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%20for%20effort. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “A for effort,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%20for%20effort.

Source: A for effort on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.