lost cause vs effort

lost cause and effort both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
lost cause	Yes	No	No	No
effort	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, effort is a hypernym of lost cause; that is, effort is a word with a broader meaning than lost cause:

lost cause: a defeated cause or a cause for which defeat is inevitable
effort: a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end

Other hypernyms of lost cause include campaign, cause, crusade, drive, movement.

lost cause (noun)	effort (noun)
a defeated cause or a cause for which defeat is inevitable	earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
	use of physical or mental energy; hard work
	a notable achievement
	a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end