← Back to Fala2Me

simulate effort

[ˈsɪm.ju.leɪt ˈɛf.ərt]
verb phrase
simular esforço
1. to pretend to make an effort or appear to be working hard without genuinely doing so
He was just simulating effort during the meeting instead of actually contributing ideas.
Ele estava apenas simulando esforço durante a reunião em vez de realmente contribuir com ideias.
2. to feign or fake the appearance of hard work or dedication
The employee was simulating effort to avoid being laid off.
O funcionário estava simulando esforço para evitar ser demitido.
NYC Slang
phoning it in
Synonyms
feign effortfake effortpretend to workgo through the motionsfake it
Antonyms
genuine effortauthentic worksincere dedicationreal commitment

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
simular esforço
most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
fazer de conta que está se esforçando
colloquial variation
São Paulo
fingir esforço
alternative phrasing commonly used in business contexts
Portugal
simular empenho
preferred usage in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

going through the motions
putting on a show
faking it
slacking off
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →