Perseverance - Making Great Efforts

Explore English idioms that relate to making great efforts, including "burn the midnight oil" and "elbow grease".

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to put in an extreme amount of effort into doing something

Ex: I 've been breaking my stones studying for this exam , so I really hope I get a good grade .

to [burn] the midnight oil [phrase]

to do something until the very late hours of the night

Ex: The author burned the midnight oil to meet the publisher 's deadline for the upcoming book .

to [fall] over backward [phrase]

to put in an extraordinary amount of effort to accomplish something, often with the intention of pleasing someone

Ex: BBC is falling over backwards to be impartial by describing this as a crowd!

to [give] {one's} eye teeth [phrase]

to be very determined and do whatever it takes to achieve a goal

Ex: I gave my eye teeth to go back to London .

to [go] to town [phrase]

to complete a task or activity with thoroughness, efficiency, and speed, often suggesting a focused and diligent approach

Ex: The band took the stage and went to town with a high-energy performance that had the crowd dancing and singing along all night .

to [make] a point of [phrase]

to deliberately do something, giving special attention or emphasis to it

Ex: We have always made a point of supporting local businesses .

to [move] mountains [phrase]

to accomplish something challenging or seemingly impossible through extraordinary effort and determination

Ex: The athlete is confident that she can move mountains to win the championship next year

a hundred and ten percent [phrase]

an intense amount of effort made toward achieving something one desires

Ex: A win today secures our spot in the championship, so go out there and give 110%!

to put a great amount of effort or thought into something particular

Ex:

blood, sweat, and tears [phrase]

an extreme amount of effort, dedication, and hard work

Ex: He's going through all the blood, sweat, and tears involved in getting a PhD.

elbow grease [noun]

a great amount of physical effort or work that is put into something

to [break] {one's} neck [phrase]

to put in a great deal of effort to accomplish something

Ex: He was breaking his neck to get to the airport on time .

to [push] the envelope [phrase]

to go beyond established limits or norms, often in a creative or daring way

Ex: The artist 's bold and unconventional approach to painting continues to push the envelope of traditional artistic norms .

to [break] the back of the beast [phrase]

to manage to do something that is extremely difficult or challenging

Ex: After hours of effort , the technicians finally broke the back of the beast and turned the electricity back on again .