Dictionary

go to great lengths en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To make a major effort; to be very careful when doing something, especially to an extreme or excessive degree.
   • The most surprising thing was to discover that each job had its little tricks, peculiarities that had been learned in the experience of years, and one of the really pleasing features was the unlimited patience and kindliness of the chargehands and fitters, who would go to great lengths to teach the budding engineer all they themselves knew. 1944 September and October, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—I”, in Railway Magazine, page 283:
   • […] They said good-bye on the eleventh, and the Portuguese noblemen saw him off, going to great lengths to show him respect." 2008, José Rodrigues does Santos, Codex 632: The Secret Identity of Christopher Columbus (trans. from the Portuguese by Alison Entrekin), William Morrow (2008), page 262
   • As a father, I would go to great lengths to protect my children. 2013, Chad R. Torgerson, Waking Up Catholic: A Guide to Catholic Beliefs for Converts, Reverts, and Anyone Becoming Catholic, Assisi Media, published 2013, →ISBN, page 62:
   • Most scholars writing on the mafia were going to great lengths to demonstrate that it did not exist—and the mobsters wanted to keep their brotherhood secret. 2009, Diego Gambetta, Codes of the Underworld: How Criminals Communicate, Princeton University Press, published 2009, →ISBN, page 272:

Forms

Relateds

beg, borrow, or steal · at pains · go to pains · spare no effort

Synonyms

move heaven and earth · go to the ends of the earth · bend over backwards

Translations (16)

pl natrudzić się (make a major effort) · ru костьми́ лечь (make a major effort) · fi nähdä paljon vaivaa (make a major effort) · cmn 不遺餘力 /不遗余力 (make a major effort) · pt não medir esforços (make a major effort) · pt fazer das tripas coração (make a major effort) · cmn 死拼 (make a major effort) · pl dołożyć wszelkich starań (make a major effort) · ru стара́ться и́зо всех сил (make a major effort) · ru разбива́ться в лепёшку (make a major effort) · ru прилага́ть ма́ксимум уси́лий из ко́жи вон лезть (make a major effort) · tr varını yoğuna katmak (make a major effort) · cmn 竭盡全力 /竭尽全力 (make a major effort) · ru вывора́чиваться наизна́нку (make a major effort) · ru рыть зе́млю но́сом (make a major effort) · pl dokładać wszelkich starań (make a major effort)