(exerts, exerting, exerted)
1.
If someone or something exerts influence, authority, or pressure, they use it in a strong or determined way, especially in order to produce a particular effect. (FORMAL)
He exerted considerable influence on the thinking of the scientific community on these issues...
VERB: V n
2.
If you exert yourself, you make a great physical or mental effort, or work hard to do something.
Do not exert yourself unnecessarily.
VERB: V pron-refl
• exertion (exertions)
He clearly found the physical exertion exhilarating...
N-UNCOUNT: also N in pl