Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Tried but not successful: Describes an action or crime that someone tried to carry out but did not complete or succeed in. It implies effort was made toward a goal, but the intended outcome was not achieved.

Usage

• The adjective "attempted" is almost always used directly before a noun, typically describing a crime or a significant action (e.g., , , ).
• It indicates that the full crime or action was not completed. For example, "attempted murder" means someone tried to kill another person but failed.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The suspect was charged with attempted burglary. (This means the suspect tried to break in but was unsuccessful.)
  • She survived an attempted assassination. (This means someone tried to assassinate her but failed.)
  • The attempted coup was quickly suppressed by the government. (This means the coup was tried but did not succeed.)

Advanced Usage

• Legal Context: In law, "attempted" is a crucial modifier that distinguishes between a completed crime and an incomplete one, often carrying a different, though still serious, penalty.
  • He was convicted of attempted fraud, as the scheme was discovered before any money was stolen.

Variants and Related Words

• Attempt (verb/noun): The base form. As a verb: to try to do something. As a noun: an act of trying.

  • Verb: He will attempt to climb the mountain.
  • Noun: It was her third attempt at the exam.

• Attempter (noun): A person who attempts something (less common).

  • The attempter of the fraud was identified.

Synonyms

• Unsuccessful: Not achieving the desired result.
• Failed: Having not succeeded.
• Botched: Carried out badly or unsuccessfully (implies clumsiness).

Related Phrases

• Attempted [Noun]: This is the standard phrasal structure. The noun is usually an action, often a crime.
  • attempted murder, attempted theft, attempted suicide, attempted rescue

Related Idioms

• (There is) no attempt made: An idiom indicating that someone did not even try to do something.
  • He made no attempt to hide his disappointment. (This uses the noun form "attempt").

Adjective

1. tried unsuccessfully
   • attempted murder