to give full measure - Glite Dictionary

Examples

She expects her students to give full measure on every assignment.
The team always strives to give full measure in every performance.
Despite his illness, he continued to give full measure at work every day.
He gave full measure during the competition.
Despite his illness, he continued to give full measure to his work, putting in extra effort to meet deadlines.
She expects her students to give full measure and complete all assignments with dedication.
The athletes promised to give full measure in the final game to secure their championship title.

Synonyms

to go all out

vsto give full measure

39 4.1

To try as hard as you can with a lot of energy

is about steady, high-quality performance rather than sudden enthusiasm

to go to great lengths

vsto give full measure

26 4.1

Try very hard to make something happen

focuses on delivering top performance rather than on many actions

to do one's utmost

vsto give full measure

5 3.2

To try as hard as possible

aims more at delivering top performance rather than only trying hard

to give it one's all

vsto give full measure

4 4.9

To try as hard as possible using all your energy

stresses achieving the best possible result through full effort

to give 110%

vsto give full measure

Informal

2 6.4

To try as hard as possible and do more than people expect

means full effort too but without implying going beyond normal limits

to leave it all on the field

vsto give full measure

Informal

1 6.8

To try as hard as you can during a game or competition

applies broadly to any task, not only competitive situations

to do one's best

vsto give full measure

1 2.5

To try as hard as you can to do something well

emphasizes doing the task very well and achieving strong results

to do one's damnedest

vsto give full measure

NSFW

1 8.6

To try very hard to do something

is similar but more neutral about tone and sustained performance

to give one's all

vsto give full measure

Informal

3.8

Put in as much effort and energy as possible

focuses specifically on performing the task as well as possible

to give one's best

vsto give full measure

Informal

2.8

To try as hard as you can when doing something

adds the idea of sustained high-quality performance, not just trying

to put in a hundred and ten percent

vsto give full measure

Informal

5.9

To work as hard as you can, often more than expected

focuses on full effort without the sense of exceeding expectations

Antonyms

to hold back

187 3.2

Stop someone or something from moving forward

to slack off

Informal

3 3.9

To become less strong or busy

How Committed

to give full measure

5.4

to go all out

39 4.1

to do one's best

1 2.5

to try

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

give full measure infinitive

gave full measure past

given full measure past participle

giving full measure present participle

gives full measure third person singular

Morphology

give + full + measure

The components 'give' (to commit) and 'full' (completely) transparently suggest offering something to the maximum, and 'measure' can be understood as 'amount' or 'extent', so a learner can plausibly infer 'give the full amount' → 'give maximum effort'. However, the noun 'measure' in this collocation is somewhat formal and the shift to 'effort/commitment' is not entirely predictable for a B1 learner without exposure, making the phrase only partially compositional.

Etymology

Give full measure may come from old markets where sellers used a measuring cup to sell goods. To give the measure meant to give the full amount to the buyer, so the phrase now means 'to do something completely or with full effort'.