Definition

An action taken to oppose or counteract another action.

Example

The team made a countereffort to regain control of the game after falling behind.

Conversation

Did you hear about the countereffort they're making to reduce pollution in the city?

Yeah, I read something about it; it sounds promising!

I think it's great that they're finally taking action against the problem.

Absolutely! It's about time we saw some real countereffort to help the environment.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Countereffort → It is formed from "counter-" (meaning against) and "effort" (from Old French *esforcier*, meaning to exert oneself). The word describes an effort made in opposition to another effort.

Memory Tip

Think of making an 'effort' to do something 'against' another action — that's why countereffort means an effort made to oppose.

Visually Confused Words