I.v. dep., to undertake, endeavor, attempt, try, venture, presume, etc. (freq. and class.; “syn. molior,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 11; “opp. facere,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 19, 54; “opp. perficere,” id. Or. 30, 105); constr. with acc., inf., rarely with abl. of the gerund., or absol.
(α).
With acc. (mostly of indef. objects): “quicquam fallaciae,” Ter. And. 1, 2, 26: “istuc,” id. ib. 1, 5, 35: “idem,” Caes. B. G. 1, 3: “opus magnum et arduum,” Cic. Or. 10, 33: “id quod conantur,” id. Cat. 2, 9, 19: “multa,” id. Or. 30, 105; id. Fin. 1, 16, 82: tantum scelus, id. Fragm. ap. Quint. 5, 13, 30; cf.: “tantam rem,” Liv. 42, 59, 8: “muita stulte,” Nep. Hann. 8, 3; Quint. 2, 4, 10: “plurima frustra,” Verg. A. 9, 398.—
(β).
With inf. (freq.): “hoc dicere,” Cic. Quint. 20, 62: “aliquid facere,” id. Rosc. Am. 19, 54: “me labefactare,” id. Div. in Caecil. 14, 44: “poëtas attingere,” id. de Or. 2, 14, 61: “versus pangere,” Lucr. 1, 26: “pueris absinthia dare,” id. 1, 936; 4, 12 al.: “facere id quod constituerant,” Caes. B. G. 1, 5: “invito transire,” id. ib. 1, 8: “tela mittere,” Cat. 116, 3; Hor. C. 1, 6, 9; id. Ep. 1, 1, 19.—*
(γ).
With abl. gerundii: “ne frustra dehortando impedire conemini,” that you attempt not vainly to dissuade, Nep. Att. 21, 6.—
(δ).
With si: “saepius noctu, si perrumpere possent, conati,” Caes. B. G. 1, 8, 4. —（ε) Absol.: “dum moliuntur (mulieres), dum conantur, annus est,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 11: “conari manibus pedibus noctisque et dies,” id. And. 4, 1, 52: “conantibus, priusquam id effici posset, adesse Romanos nuntiatur,” Caes. B. G. 6, 4: “qui prius cogitare quam conari consuesset,” before he proceeded to the undertaking, Nep. Dat. 7, 1: “ego obviam conabar tibi,” Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 2: “audax ad conandum,” Liv. 45, 23, 15.—
b. Hence, subst.: cōnāta , ōrum, n., in pass. signif., an undertaking, attempt, venture, hazard (class.), Att. ap. Non. p. 202, 14; Plaut. Merc. 1, 1, 39; Lucr. 5, 386; Caes. B. G. 1, 3; Nep. Dion, 8, 5; Liv. 21, 50, 9; 42, 11, 3; Quint. 8, 3, 69; Suet. Galb. 17; Ov. M. 10, 420; 14, 755 sq.; Juv. 13, 210; Vell. 2, 35, 5 et saep.
