Word
exert
Phoneticsex·ert, stress on the second syllable
US/ɪɡˈzɝt/
UK/ɛɡzˈɜːt/
Definitions
01to apply influence or pressure
C1 · Advanced Academic
v. to use your power, influence, or authority to achieve a result.
v. to bring a quality, such as influence or authority, to bear on a situation. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the force applied.
“The local council began to exert pressure on the company to clean up the park.”
“The central bank may exert significant influence over the national economy by adjusting interest rates during periods of high inflation.”
02to work very hard
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to make a very big mental or physical effort to do something.
v. to put oneself into vigorous action or to make a strenuous effort. Reflexive — always used with a reflexive pronoun like 'himself' or 'themselves'.
日本語:努力する※
“She had to exert herself to finish the long race in the heat.”
“The researchers exerted themselves to meet the grant deadline, working through the weekend to finalise their findings.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “exert” in context.
Verb
01. exert control
“The central government struggled to exert control over the remote mountainous regions.”
verb + noun
02. exert effect
“The new medication began to exert a noticeable effect on the patient's recovery within hours.”
verb + noun
03. exert force
“You need to exert more force on the lever to get the mechanism to move.”
verb + noun
04. exert influence
“Lobbyists often try to exert influence on lawmakers to favor their specific interests.”
verb + noun
05. exert pressure
“Environmental groups are trying to exert pressure on the company to reduce its carbon footprint.”
verb + noun
Usage
The verb is transitive and typically takes abstract nouns like 'influence', 'pressure', 'authority', or 'control' as its object.
Pitfall
he exerted to finish the work
he exerted himself to finish the work
When used to mean 'putting in effort', the verb must be reflexive; you must exert 'yourself' or 'effort'.
Real-World Examples
“But there are not many levers left for Trump to pull if he wants to exert more pressure on Tehran, Barbara Slavin, Distinguished Fellow at the Washington, DC-based Stimson Centre, told Al Jazeera.” “For all his kooky control-freakery, a new manager like Maresca will never be able to exert the same stranglehold as the man he replaced .” “Instead, in the late 19th century, Japan started to build its own empire , exerting influence over Korea as well as Manchuria, an important area of modern-day China that borders Korea, Russia and Mongolia.” “California has developed even stricter protections , including voiding HOA rules that ban water-resistant plants or artificial turf or require turfgrass, although HOAs can still exert control over many homeowner decisions.” Etymology
From Latin exsertus, past participle of exserō (“to stretch or thrust forth or out”), from ex- + serō (“to string together”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/exert
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0