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. He exerted considerable influence on the thinking of the scientific community on these issues
To put force, ability, or anything of the nature of an active faculty; to put in vigorous action; to bring into active operation; as, to exert the strength of the body, limbs, faculties, or imagination; to exert the mind or the voice
If you exert yourself, you make a great physical or mental effort, or work hard to do something. Do not exert yourself unnecessarily. + exertion exertions ex·er·tion He clearly found the physical exertion exhilarating