FromLatinexsertus, past participle ofexserere(“tostretch orthrust forth or out”), fromex- +serere(“to string together”).
exert (third-person singular simple presentexerts,present participleexerting,simple past and past participleexerted)
- (transitive) To makeuse of, toapply, especially of something non-material; to bring to bear.
- Synonyms:exercise,utilize
He consideredexerting his influence on John to gain an advantage for himself.
1963,Margery Allingham, chapter 19, inThe China Governess: A Mystery, London:Chatto & Windus,→OCLC:Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, byexerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.
2012 April 18, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona”, inBBC Sport:Di Matteo clearly saw Drogba's power as a potential threat to a Barcelona defence stripped of Gerard Pique - but he barely caught sight of goal in a first 45 minutes in which the Catalansexerted their technical superiority.
2022 January 12, Christian Wolmar, “A new year... but the same old mistakes are being made”, inRAIL, number948, pages40–41:How can the unions - or more specifically the RMT - possibly think this is a good time toexert a bit of industrial muscle and indulge in strikes both on the national railway and the London Underground?
- (reflexive) Toput invigorousaction.
Iexerted myself in today's training.
to put in vigorous action
Translations to be checked
