Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense exerts, present participle exerting, past tense, past participle exerted
1. verb
If someone or something exerts influence, authority, or pressure, they use it in a strong or determined way, especially in order to produce a particular effect.
[formal]
He exerted considerable influence on the thinking of the scientific community onthese issues. [VERB noun]
The cyst was causing swelling and exerting pressure on her brain. [VERB noun]
2. verb
If you exertyourself, you make a great physical or mental effort, or work hard to do something.
Youngsters get so absorbed that they don't realise how much they're exerting themselves. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
Do not exert yourself unnecessarily. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
exertionWord forms: uncountable noun
He clearly found the physical exertion exhilarating.
Synonyms: effort, action, exercise, struggle More Synonyms of exert
Synonyms: use, exercise, application, employment More Synonyms of exert
More Synonyms of exert
exert in British English
(ɪɡˈzɜːt)
verb(transitive)
1.
to use (influence, authority, etc) forcefully or effectively
2.
to apply (oneself) diligently; make a strenuous effort
Derived forms
exertion (exˈertion)
noun
exertive (exˈertive)
adjective
Word origin
C17 (in the sense: push forth, emit): from Latin exserere to thrust out, from ex-1 + serere to bind together, entwine
exert in American English
(ɛgˈzɜrt; ɪgˈzɜrt)
verb transitive
1.
to put forth or use energetically; put into action or use
to exert strength, influence, etc.
2.
to apply (oneself) with great energy or straining effort
Derived forms
exertive (exˈertive)
adjective
Word origin
L exsertare, freq. of exserere, to stretch out, put forth < ex-, out + serere, to join, fasten together: see series
Examples of 'exert' in a sentence
exert
The first is their capacity to turn the territorial pressure they exert into points from the boot.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
No pressure is exerted on the government.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It turns out that subtle differences in cultural history exert large effects on the way people think, and how they can be influenced.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I'm trying to exert maximum pressure.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He exerted his main influence in two spheres.
Stewart Lamont WHEN SCOTLAND RULED THE WORLD: The Story of the Golden Age of Genius, Creativityand Exploration (2002)
One key question is how traffic pollution can exert such an effect on lung growth.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Light exerts a profound effect on plants and all animal life.
MacIntyre, Anne M. E. Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome - How To Live With It (1989)
Improved disclosure of bonuses would enable shareholders to exert more pressure on banks to minimise pay.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Any improvement is liable to be limited by a basic scarcity of players consistently capable of exerting exceptional influence on matches.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The effort you exert to improve a difficult relationship is almost always rewarded with new vitality for you and your group.
Christianity Today (2000)
Besides, it does not explain why home advantage continues to exert its effect in derby games.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
That is, more intelligent subjects exerted less intellectual effort to do the test items.
Pressley, Michael & McCormick, Christine Advanced Educational Psychology For Educators, Researchers and Policymakers, (1995)
The blueberry has the highest proportion of antioxidants, some of which exert protective effects on the brain.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Your blood pressure Your blood pressure is a measure of the pressure your blood exertsas it flows through your arteries.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
How does HDL exert its protective effect?
Kowalski, Robert E The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure (1990)
It will exert renewed pressure on the tense diplomatic ties between Britain and Argentina.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We will continue to exert our best efforts to secure the liquidity and safety of our reserves holdings, while enhancing returns under the given constraints.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I am afraid the philistine, utilitarian forces that have so damaged higher education will exert their pressure for some while yet.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The strain on working capital exerted by its stockpile was one of the reasons behind last month's 108 million share placing.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But nobody seems to want to exert the effort to make the UK truly competitive or bring it back to the glory that it was.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
For example, vitamin pills are consumed by many millions of people in expectation that they will exert a powerful effect on health and well-being.
Harris, Marvin Cultural Anthropology (1995)
A shake-up for the planning system is one of the few ways that the Government can exert a direct influence over energy.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I think our defence will be the measure of our success, or otherwise, as better teams in the knockout stages exert more pressure.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
exert
British English: exert VERB
If someone or something exerts influence, authority, or pressure, they use it in a strong or determined way.
He exerted considerable influence on the thinking of the scientific community on these issues.
American English: exert
Brazilian Portuguese: exercer
Chinese: 施加 >影响、压力
European Spanish: ejercer
French: exercer
German: ausüben
Italian: esercitare
Japanese: >及ぼす影響などを
Korean: > 행사하다영향력 등을
European Portuguese: exercer
Latin American Spanish: ejercer
Chinese translation of 'exert'
exert
(ɪɡˈzəːt)
vt
(frm)[influence, pressure]施加 (shījiā)
to exert o.s.尽(盡)力 (jìnlì)
(verb)
Definition
to use influence, authority, etc. forcefully or effectively
He exerted all his considerable charm to get the board to agree.
Synonyms
apply
The government appears to be applying the same principle.
use
Officials used loud-hailers to call for calm.
exercise
They are merely exercising their right to free speech.
employ
the approaches and methods we employed in this study
wield
He remains chairman, but wields little power in the company.
make use of
utilize
Sound engineers utilize a range of techniques.
expend
bring to bear
put forth
bring into play
phrasal verb
See exert yourself
Additional synonyms
in the sense of employ
Definition
to use as a means
the approaches and methods we employed in this study
Synonyms
use,
apply,
exercise,
exert,
make use of,
utilize,
ply,
bring to bear,
put to use,
bring into play,
avail yourself of
in the sense of exercise
Definition
to put into use
They are merely exercising their right to free speech.