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To “lift a finger” means to make an effort to do something. We usually use this phrase in negative statements. In 2008, the Russian military occupied parts of the Republic of Georgia, and the world barely “lifted a finger” in opposition. The world barely made an effort to oppose the invasion. The mother decided she wasn’t going to “lift a finger” until her husband started doing his fair share of the housework. The student never “lifted a finger” to try and improve his grades.