50 Idioms for Trying Hard and Putting in Effort (Meanings)

Idioms are fun expressions where words together carry a hidden meaning different from their literal sense. People use them in everyday speech to add color, warmth, and descriptive imagery to conversations. In this article, you will learn fifty interesting idioms about giving your best effort, pushing through challenges, and trying hard.

In this lesson, we will look at idioms that mean trying hard or putting maximum effort into a task. Let us get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.

Idioms for Trying Hard

1. Give it your all

Definition: To use one hundred percent of your energy and effort on an activity.

Used in a Sentence: The coach told us to go out on the field and give it our all. / Give it your all during the school talent show and have fun.

Similar Expressions: Try your best / Maximum effort

2. Put your shoulder to the wheel

Definition: To apply maximum effort and push forward with a difficult task.

Used in a Sentence: If everyone puts their shoulder to the wheel, we can finish the community garden early. / He put his shoulder to the wheel to catch up on missed homework.

Similar Expressions: Work hard / Push forward

3. Put your nose to the grindstone

Definition: To work continuously and steadily without taking breaks.

Used in a Sentence: She put her nose to the grindstone and practiced piano for two hours straight. / Putting your nose to the grindstone helps you master difficult math concepts quickly.

Similar Expressions: Focus on work / Work diligently

4. Hit the ground running

Definition: To start a new project with intense energy and immediate hard work.

Used in a Sentence: The new soccer players hit the ground running during the first practice drill. / She arrived early and hit the ground running on her art project.

Similar Expressions: Start fast / Dive right in

5. Work your fingers to the bone

Definition: To work extremely hard for a long time until you are physically tired.

Used in a Sentence: My mother worked her fingers to the bone to make sure our family holiday was special. / He worked his fingers to the bone weeding the massive vegetable garden.

Similar Expressions: Work exhaustively / Labor intensely

6. Pull out all the stops

Definition: To use every available resource and maximum effort to achieve success.

Used in a Sentence: We pulled out all the stops to make the school science fair a huge success. / She pulled out all the stops when decorating her poster for the contest.

Similar Expressions: Use maximum effort / Go all out

7. Go the extra mile

Definition: To put in extra effort above and beyond what is expected.

Used in a Sentence: The teacher went the extra mile to explain the math problem after class. / Always go the extra mile when preparing a gift for a friend.

Similar Expressions: Put in extra work / Do more than expected

8. Dig deep

Definition: To find extra inner strength and effort when a task becomes very hard.

Used in a Sentence: The runners had to dig deep during the final lap of the race. / When homework gets frustrating, you need to dig deep and finish.

Similar Expressions: Find inner strength / Push harder

9. Bend over backwards

Definition: To try exceptionally hard to help someone or solve a problem.

Used in a Sentence: Mom bent over backwards to make sure everyone had their favorite snacks for the trip. / The librarian bent over backwards to help me find the rare book.

Similar Expressions: Try very hard / Make great efforts

10. Put your back into it

Definition: To use physical strength and full effort to lift or move something heavy.

Used in a Sentence: Put your back into it so we can push this heavy crate across the stage. / The boys put their back into it while moving the gym mats.

Similar Expressions: Lift heavy / Push hard

11. Move heaven and earth

Definition: To do everything possible through intense effort to reach a goal.

Used in a Sentence: She promised to move heaven and earth to find her lost puppy. / The parents moved heaven and earth to secure tickets for the school play.

Similar Expressions: Do everything possible / Try every means

12. Push the envelope

Definition: To work hard at pushing limits and achieving higher standards.

Used in a Sentence: The young scientists worked hard to push the envelope in robotics. / Athletes push the envelope during training to break records.

Similar Expressions: Push limits / Aim higher

13. Knock yourself out

Definition: To work extremely hard, sometimes to the point of exhaustion.

Used in a Sentence: She decided to knock herself out practicing gymnastics routines for the show. / Do not knock yourself out trying to finish everything tonight.

Similar Expressions: Work hard / Exert fully

14. Put your heart into it

Definition: To work with deep passion, dedication, and intense effort.

Used in a Sentence: If you put your heart into painting the mural, it will look amazing. / She always puts her heart into learning new piano songs.

Similar Expressions: Work passionately / Care deeply

15. Leave no stone unturned

Definition: To search thoroughly and work hard to find a solution or answer.

Used in a Sentence: Detectives left no stone unturned while searching for the missing classroom key. / She left no stone unturned when looking for her lost puppy.

Similar Expressions: Search everywhere / Try everything

16. Put the pedal to the metal

Definition: To work at top speed and put maximum effort into a task.

Used in a Sentence: We need to put the pedal to the metal to finish our poster before the bell rings. / Putting the pedal to the metal helped the team win the relay race.

Similar Expressions: Speed up / Work fast

17. Sweat blood

Definition: To exert an intense, painful amount of effort to achieve a goal.

Used in a Sentence: The athletes felt like they had to sweat blood to win the regional championship. / Solving that complex puzzle made me feel like I was sweating blood.

Similar Expressions: Struggle hard / Labor intensely

18. Keep your shoulder to the wheel

Definition: To maintain steady, hardworking momentum without giving up.

Used in a Sentence: Even when the project got boring, she kept her shoulder to the wheel. / Keep your shoulder to the wheel and you will finish painting the fence soon.

Similar Expressions: Persevere / Keep working

19. Burn the midnight oil

Definition: To stay up late working or studying intensely on a project.

Used in a Sentence: She had to burn the midnight oil to finish her science report before the deadline. / The student burned the midnight oil reviewing flashcards for the history exam.

Similar Expressions: Work late / Study overtime

20. Roll up your sleeves

Definition: To prepare yourself physically and mentally for serious effort.

Used in a Sentence: We need to roll up our sleeves and clean the entire classroom before recess. / Dad rolled up his sleeves to fix the broken bicycle chain in the garage.

Similar Expressions: Get to work / Prepare for action

21. Put your mind to it

Definition: To focus your thoughts and hard work completely on achieving a goal.

Used in a Sentence: You can build any model airplane you want if you put your mind to it. / Learning a new language is easy once you put your mind to it.

Similar Expressions: Focus hard / Apply yourself

22. Stay the course

Definition: To continue working hard toward a goal despite obstacles.

Used in a Sentence: Even when the science experiment failed twice, she stayed the course. / Staying the course is the only way to finish a long marathon.

Similar Expressions: Persevere / Keep going

23. Keep the ball rolling

Definition: To keep energy and hard work moving forward on a project.

Used in a Sentence: Let us keep the ball rolling by starting the next chapter of our book. / Quick answers help keep the ball rolling during group discussions.

Similar Expressions: Maintain momentum / Keep working

24. Work your tail off

Definition: To work with extreme intensity and physical effort.

Used in a Sentence: He worked his tail off to save money for a new skateboard. / The crew worked their tails off to finish the stage before the concert.

Similar Expressions: Work extremely hard / Exert fully

25. Keep at it

Definition: To continue working hard on a difficult task without stopping.

Used in a Sentence: Math can be tough, but if you keep at it, you will understand. / She kept at it until she finally solved the tricky jigsaw puzzle.

Similar Expressions: Keep working / Persevere

26. Put your weight behind it

Definition: To give full support and hardworking effort to a project.

Used in a Sentence: The principal put her weight behind the new recycling program at school. / Parents put their weight behind the fundraising bake sale.

Similar Expressions: Support strongly / Back fully

27. Put your shoulder to the plow

Definition: To start working steadily and seriously on a demanding task.

Used in a Sentence: Farmers put their shoulder to the plow as soon as spring arrived. / It is time to put our shoulder to the plow and finish our essays.

Similar Expressions: Get serious / Start laboring

28. Work around the clock

Definition: To work continuously day and night without stopping.

Used in a Sentence: The rescue workers worked around the clock to help flood victims. / Volunteers worked around the clock to finish setting up the festival tents.

Similar Expressions: Work nonstop / Continuous effort

29. Pull a double shift

Definition: To work twice as long as usual to finish a demanding job.

Used in a Sentence: The volunteers pulled a double shift to finish handing out supplies. / Mom pulled a double shift at the hospital to help her coworkers.

Similar Expressions: Work extra / Double effort

30. Leave nothing to chance

Definition: To work so thoroughly that you ensure success through careful effort.

Used in a Sentence: She practiced her speech five times to leave nothing to chance. / Testing the robot twice meant the engineers left nothing to chance.

Similar Expressions: Be thorough / Work carefully

31. Drive yourself hard

Definition: To demand a high level of effort and performance from yourself.

Used in a Sentence: He tends to drive himself hard when preparing for a music recital. / Do not drive yourself too hard; remember to take short breaks.

Similar Expressions: Push yourself / Work intensely

32. Heavy lifting

Definition: Doing the most difficult and strenuous part of a job or project.

Used in a Sentence: Dad did the heavy lifting when we moved our bedroom furniture upstairs. / Older students did the heavy lifting for the school play set design.

Similar Expressions: Hard work / Strenuous task

33. Work your fingers sore

Definition: To work so hard with your hands that your fingers feel tired and achy.

Used in a Sentence: Knitting the winter scarf for charity made her work her fingers sore. / He worked his fingers sore repairing old clocks in his workshop.

Similar Expressions: Labor with hands / Handwork

34. Put your shoulder to the work

Definition: To dive straight into a demanding job with dedicated effort.

Used in a Sentence: It is time to put our shoulder to the work and pack the moving boxes. / He put his shoulder to the work and cleaned the yard in an hour.

Similar Expressions: Start working / Dive in

35. Give it a shot

Definition: To make a brave attempt at trying something new or difficult.

Used in a Sentence: Even though painting is new to me, I decided to give it a shot. / If you are unsure about the riddle, just give it a shot.

Similar Expressions: Try it out / Make an attempt

36. Take a crack at it

Definition: To make an earnest attempt to solve a problem or complete a task.

Used in a Sentence: If nobody else knows the answer, let me take a crack at it. / He asked if he could take a crack at fixing the broken bicycle chain.

Similar Expressions: Try your hand / Make an effort

37. Bend over backwards to help

Definition: To make an extraordinary effort to assist someone in need.

Used in a Sentence: She bent over backwards to help her classmates understand the history lesson. / Our neighbor bent over backwards to help us move our boxes.

Similar Expressions: Help greatly / Exert for others

38. Strain every nerve

Definition: To use every ounce of energy and focus to accomplish a challenging goal.

Used in a Sentence: The young musician strained every nerve to hit the final difficult note. / She strained every nerve to balance on the narrow gymnastics beam.

Similar Expressions: Push limits / Try intensely

39. Leave no stone unturned in your search

Definition: To put every effort into investigating or finding something important.

Used in a Sentence: The student left no stone unturned in her search for the lost notebook. / We left no stone unturned in our search for the missing classroom keys.

Similar Expressions: Search thoroughly / Investigate fully

40. Put your shoulder to the wheel of effort

Definition: To contribute continuous hard work toward finishing a task.

Used in a Sentence: Everyone on the committee put their shoulder to the wheel of effort. / Finishing the mural required putting our shoulder to the wheel of effort.

Similar Expressions: Apply effort / Work continuously

41. Strive with might and main

Definition: To try with all your physical and mental strength.

Used in a Sentence: The athletes strove with might and main to win the relay race. / He strove with might and main to build the tallest block tower.

Similar Expressions: Try with all power / Strive intensely

42. Put your best foot forward

Definition: To try your absolute hardest to make a great impression and succeed.

Used in a Sentence: Be sure to put your best foot forward during your first job interview. / Put your best foot forward when presenting your science project.

Similar Expressions: Try your best / Make a good impression

43. Work against the clock

Definition: To work with frantic effort because you have very little time left.

Used in a Sentence: We had to work against the clock to finish our test before the bell rang. / The bakers worked against the clock to frost the birthday cake.

Similar Expressions: Rush work / Time pressure

44. Give it a whirl

Definition: To try something new with enthusiasm and an open mind.

Used in a Sentence: Ice skating looked scary, but she decided to give it a whirl. / If you have never played chess, why not give it a whirl today?

Similar Expressions: Give it a try / Test it out

45. Put your shoulder to the grindstone

Definition: To combine focus and heavy effort to finish a demanding assignment.

Used in a Sentence: Put your shoulder to the grindstone and your essay will be done soon. / He put his shoulder to the grindstone to finish studying before dinner.

Similar Expressions: Focus and work / Labor steadily

46. Move mountains

Definition: To achieve the impossible through sheer willpower and relentless effort.

Used in a Sentence: With enough determination and teamwork, you can move mountains. / Her dedication to animal rescue helped move mountains for the shelter.

Similar Expressions: Achieve the impossible / Overcome all odds

47. Push through

Definition: To keep trying hard and not give up when facing exhaustion or obstacles.

Used in a Sentence: Even when his legs felt tired, he decided to push through the final mile. / You have to push through the hard parts of learning an instrument.

Similar Expressions: Persevere / Keep going

48. Put your shoulder to the task

Definition: To dedicate serious effort and hard work to an assignment.

Used in a Sentence: Put your shoulder to the task and your history poster will look fantastic. / The club members put their shoulder to the task of cleaning the park.

Similar Expressions: Work seriously / Apply effort

49. Go all out

Definition: To use maximum energy and effort in everything you do.

Used in a Sentence: The dancers went all out during their final recital performance. / If we want to win the school banner contest, we need to go all out.

Similar Expressions: Give maximum effort / Try fully

50. Put your shoulder to the challenge

Definition: To face a difficult obstacle head-on with determined hard work.

Used in a Sentence: Instead of quitting, she decided to put her shoulder to the challenge. / Solving the complex puzzle meant putting our shoulders to the challenge.

Similar Expressions: Face head-on / Tackle bravely

Exercise to Practice

1. The coach told us to go out on the field and give it our all.
2. We need to roll up our sleeves and clean the entire classroom by taking a long nap on the floor.
3. She put her nose to the grindstone and practiced piano for two hours straight.
4. My mother worked her fingers to the bone to make sure our family holiday was special while sleeping all day.
5. We need to put the pedal to the metal to finish our poster before the bell rings.
6. The teacher went the extra mile to explain the math problem after class by hiding the textbooks.
7. He spent the afternoon grinding away at his vocabulary flashcards.
8. The runners had to dig deep during the final lap of the race by sitting down to eat lunch.
9. Farmers put their shoulder to the plow as soon as spring arrived.
10. The rescue workers worked around the clock to help flood victims and ignored all emergency calls.
11. Dad did the heavy lifting when we moved our bedroom furniture upstairs.
12. He worked his tail off to save money for a new skateboard by finding dollar bills on the sidewalk.
13. Math can be tough, but if you keep at it, you will understand.
14. We had to work against the clock to finish our test before the bell rang while taking a long recess break.
15. Even though painting is new to me, I decided to give it a shot.

Answer Key

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. False
9. True
10. False
11. True
12. False
13. True
14. False
15. True

Conclusion

Learning these idioms helps you describe trying hard, putting in effort, and pushing through tough challenges using colorful language. By practicing them regularly, you can make your everyday writing and conversations much more descriptive and engaging.

Try using one or two of these expressions the next time you tackle a challenging school project or sports practice. You will find that using imaginative phrases makes talking about hard work a lot more fun.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common idioms for trying hard?

Some popular choices include giving it your all, going the extra mile, and putting your nose to the grindstone. These expressions help people describe strong effort in a creative way.

Why do we use idioms in English?

Idioms add charm, emotion, and color to our speech instead of using plain literal words. They help us share everyday experiences like working hard in memorable ways.

How can students learn these expressions easily?

Students can learn idioms best by connecting them to daily tasks like studying for tests, practicing sports, or doing chores. Using them in simple sentences helps them stick in your memory.

Are these idioms okay to use in formal writing?

Most of these idioms work wonderfully in personal stories, creative essays, or casual presentations. However, strict academic research papers usually require more direct vocabulary.

Do all English speakers understand these effort idioms?

Yes, most of these expressions are widely recognized across English-speaking regions, though slight regional variations in phrasing can sometimes occur.