A for effort 

Not the worst attempt. Perhaps if you invested a little more time and brain work, you would get something that you can actually be proud of instead of this pile of rubbish.

Boy : Hey sweetie, I got you something
Girl : Oh Wow! What did you get me?
Boy : A Brand New Star Wars T-shirt
Girl : *sigh* Oh well. A for Effort.

A for effort by Beewol April 22, 2016

Phaneuf effort 

To give a half assed, lethargic effort that usually results in miserable failure.

The pylon gave it a Phaneuf effort to check the offensive player by falling over his own feet and allowing the other team a goal.

Phaneuf effort by j squag April 3, 2015

86 the effort

One of the best bands to ever come out of Baltimore
always out reppin the 410
and sing in the greatest genre ever made

Dude did you see 86 the effort last night?

Hell yea they were the shit

86 the effort by PePaeXx January 14, 2009

best effort 

Working to one's ability, rather he or she fails or succeeds.

Put in your best effort.

best effort by Davey June 5, 2004

Maximum Effort 

Maximum effort is when you dump all of your hesitations down the toilet and madly scramble to your goal.

All you gotta do is use a whole lot of maximum effort.

Maximum Effort by AlldaladiesluvLeoHoO December 22, 2019

E for Effort 

Letter grade between D and F that teachers used to give back in the olden days that meant that you didn't pass, but at least you tried and put in "effort" so you didn't fail either. Usually it was only given when the teacher felt bad for the kid and didn't want to fail them. Kids that got E's usually were often made fun of and called dummies, hence E grades are no longer used except when people want to mock someone for doing something dumb.

I give you an E for Effort for that laughable attempt.

E for Effort by flurbadurb June 3, 2017

The Old Joanie Effort

When an individual knows that a certain task is, by all practical reasoning, impossible to complete, still makes a meagre attempt to complete said task out of pity or moral obligation.

Kory agrees to go to prom with Joanie to save her from going with a creepy kid named Stuart. Later that night, Joanie wants to put out but Kory knows he can't quite get it up. Still, he resigns to giving it the old Joanie effort.

The Old Joanie Effort by The Sex Gods June 9, 2009