Try Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 5, 2024
Try means to attempt or make an effort to do something. e.g., She decided to try skydiving for the first time.
Table of Contents
Try Definitions
Using or applying something to see if it works or to discover something new.
Let's try mixing these two chemicals.
To taste food or drink to assess its flavor.
Would you like to try the new dish?
To strive or exert oneself to do or achieve something.
She always tries her best in everything she does.
To apply a specific method or technique in doing something.
Let's try a new approach to solve this puzzle.
To make an effort to do or accomplish (something); attempt
Tried to ski.
To taste, sample, or otherwise test in order to determine strength, effect, worth, or desirability
Try this casserole.
To make an effort to open (a closed door or window).
To conduct the trial of (a legal claim)
To try a negligence case.
To put (an accused person) on trial.
To subject to great strain or hardship; tax
The last steep ascent tried my every muscle.
To melt (lard, for example) to separate out impurities; render.
To make an effort; strive
I know it's not easy, but keep trying!.
An attempt; an effort.
(Sports) In rugby, an act of advancing the ball past the opponent's goal line and grounding it there for a score of three points.
To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive.
I tried to rollerblade, but I couldn’t.
I'll come to dinner soon. I'm trying to beat this level first.
(obsolete) To divide; to separate.
To separate (precious metal etc.) from the ore by melting; to purify, refine.
(one sort from another) To winnow; to sift; to pick out; frequently followed by out.
To try out the wild corn from the good
(nautical) To extract oil from blubber or fat; to melt down blubber to obtain oil
To extract wax from a honeycomb
To test, to work out.
To make an experiment. Usually followed by a present participle.
I tried mixing more white paint to get a lighter shade.
To put to test.
I shall try my skills on this.
(specifically) To test someone's patience.
You are trying my patience.
Don't try me.
To receive an imminent attack; to take.
To taste, sample, etc.
Oh, you need to try the soup of the day!
To prove by experiment; to apply a test to, for the purpose of determining the quality; to examine; to prove; to test.
To try weights or measures by a standard;
To try a person's opinions
(with indirect interrogative clause) To attempt to determine (by experiment or effort).
I'll try whether I can make it across town on foot.
(legal) To put on trial.
He was tried and executed.
To experiment, to strive.
To have or gain knowledge of by experience.
To work on something with one's best effort and focus.
Dad, for fuck's sake, I'm trying my best!
You are trying too hard.
(obsolete) To do; to fare.
How do you try! (i.e., how do you do?)
To settle; to decide; to determine; specifically, to decide by an appeal to arms.
To try rival claims by a duel;
To try conclusions
To attempt to conceive a child.
(nautical) To lie to in heavy weather under just sufficient sail to head into the wind.
To strain; to subject to excessive tests.
The light tries his eyes.
Repeated failures try one's patience.
To want
I am really not trying to hear you talk about my mama like that.
An attempt.
I gave unicycling a try but I couldn’t do it.
An act of tasting or sampling.
I gave sushi a try but I didn’t like it.
(rugby) A score in rugby league and rugby union, analogous to a touchdown in American football.
Today I scored my first try.
A screen, or sieve, for grain.
(American football) A field goal or extra point
(chess) A move that almost solves a chess problem, except that Black has a unique defense.
(obsolete) Fine, excellent.
To divide or separate, as one sort from another; to winnow; to sift; to pick out; - frequently followed by out; as, to try out the wild corn from the good.
To purify or refine, as metals; to melt out, and procure in a pure state, as oil, tallow, lard, etc.
The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
To prove by experiment; to apply a test to, for the purpose of determining the quality; to examine; to prove; to test; as, to try weights or measures by a standard; to try a man's opinions.
Let the end try the man.
To subject to severe trial; to put to the test; to cause suffering or trouble to.
Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased.
These are the times that try men's souls.
To experiment with; to test by use; as, to try a remedy for disease; to try a horse.
Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me.
To ease her cares the force of sleep she tries.
To strain; to subject to excessive tests; as, the light tries his eyes; repeated disappointments try one's patience.
To examine or investigate judicially; to examine by witnesses or other judicial evidence and the principles of law; as, to try a cause, or a criminal.
To settle; to decide; to determine; specifically, to decide by an appeal to arms; as, to try rival claims by a duel; to try conclusions.
Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried.
To experience; to have or gain knowledge of by experience.
Or try the Libyan heat or Scythian cold.
To essay; to attempt; to endeavor.
Let us try . . . to found a path.
He first deceased: she for a little triedTo live without him; liked it not, and died.
Alack, I am afraid they have a waked,And 't is not done. The attempt, and not the deed,Confounds us.
To exert strength; to endeavor; to make an effort or an attempt; as, you must try hard if you wish to learn.
To do; to fare; as, how do you try!
A screen, or sieve, for grain.
Act of trying; attempt; experiment; trial.
This breaking of his has been but a try for his friends.
In Rugby and Northern Union football, a score (counting three points) made by grounding the ball on or behind the opponent's goal line; - so called because it entitles the side making it to a place kick for a goal (counting two points more if successful).
Refined; select; excellent; choice.
Earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something;
Made an effort to cover all the reading material
Wished him luck in his endeavor
She gave it a good try
Make an effort or attempt;
He tried to shake off his fears
The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps
The police attempted to stop the thief
He sought to improve himself
She always seeks to do good in the world
Put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to;
This approach has been tried with good results
Test this recipe
Put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of;
The football star was tried for the murder of his wife
The judge tried both father and son in separate trials
Take a sample of;
Try these new crackers
Sample the regional dishes
Examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process;
The jury had heard all the evidence
The case will be tried in California
Give pain or trouble to;
I've been sorely tried by these students
Test the limits of;
You are trying my patience!
Melt (fat, lard, etc.) in order to separate out impurities;
Try the yak butter
Render fat in a casserole
Put on a garment in order to see whether it fits and looks nice;
Try on this sweater to see how it looks
Making an effort to accomplish a task or goal.
He will try to break the world record.
To examine or assess the condition or nature of something.
The mechanic will try the engine to identify the problem.
To test the abilities, qualities, or patience of someone or something.
This challenging project will really try our skills.
To conduct a trial against someone in a court of law.
The court will try the case next month.
To put on clothing to check its fit or look.
I need to try on these shoes before buying them.
To attempt to enter a place or to open something locked.
Can you try the door to see if it's locked?
Try Snonyms
Endeavor
To try hard to do or achieve something.
He endeavored to finish the marathon despite his injury.
Attempt
To make an effort to achieve or complete something, typically a difficult task or action.
She made an attempt to break the world record.
Test
To subject (something) to a procedure that ascertains effectiveness, quality, or performance.
The scientists test the hypothesis through a series of experiments.
Strive
To make great efforts to achieve or obtain something.
She strived for perfection in her work.
Examine
To inspect or scrutinize carefully.
The doctor examined the patient to diagnose the problem.
Sample
To take a sample of something for analysis.
The chef sampled the dish to ensure it had the right flavors.
Experiment
To conduct a test or investigation to discover something unknown.
The research team will experiment with a new approach to the problem.
Assess
To evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.
Teachers assess students' progress through exams and assignments.
Probe
To explore or examine something thoroughly.
Journalists probe into stories to uncover the truth.
Seek
To attempt to find (something).
They seek a solution to the environmental crisis.
Try Idioms & Phrases
Give it a try
To attempt to do something, typically for the first time.
Even if you think you can't draw, you should still give it a try.
Try one's hand at
To attempt to do something for the first time, usually to see if one is good at it.
After years of baking for her family, she's trying her hand at opening her own bakery.
Try one's luck
To attempt to do something with the hope of success, despite the possibility of failure.
He decided to try his luck at the casino, even though he wasn't a big gambler.
Try one's patience
To do something that annoys someone and tests their ability to remain patient.
The constant delays tried my patience, but I remained calm.
Try every trick in the book
To use every possible method to achieve something.
To get her car started, she tried every trick in the book.
Make no try
Not to attempt or make an effort at all.
He made no try to hide his disappointment when he saw the result.
Try the waters
To test out a situation or to cautiously explore something new before committing.
Before investing a lot of money, they decided to try the waters with a small prototype.
Have a try
To make an attempt at something.
If you think you can fix the issue, then have a try by all means.
Try against the odds
To attempt to do something despite it being very unlikely to succeed.
She tried against the odds to win the championship as an underdog.
Try one's utmost
To do everything possible; to try as hard as one can.
She tried her utmost to complete the project on time.
First try
The initial attempt at doing something.
I couldn't believe it worked on the first try!
Try it on
To attempt to deceive or to test someone's patience or limits.
He's just trying it on to see how much he can get away with.
Try as one might
Despite putting in a lot of effort or attempting repeatedly.
Try as she might, she couldn't convince her cat to wear the adorable sweater.
Worth a try
Something that is worth attempting because there could be a beneficial outcome.
Applying to that prestigious university is worth a try; you might just get accepted.
To die trying
To continue making an effort until the very end, even if it results in failure or death.
He vowed to climb the highest mountain, even if he died trying.
Give it the old college try
To make a determined effort, even if success seems unlikely.
Even though the recipe looked difficult, I gave it the old college try.
Try someone's soul
To deeply challenge or distress an individual on an emotional or spiritual level.
The continuous conflict in the community tried everyone's soul.
Try for size
To test something to see if it fits or is suitable.
You should try the dress for size before you decide to buy it.
Try on for size
To consider or test something to see if it suits one's needs, tastes, or preferences.
I'm trying on the idea of moving abroad for size before making any decisions.
Not try a stitch
Not to make any effort at all.
He didn't try a stitch to help with the preparations for the event.
Try Example Sentences
Try not to make the same mistake twice.
She encouraged her friend to try out for the soccer team.
He decided to try his hand at painting.
They're going to try camping in the wilderness this weekend.
I'll try calling them again later.
Can you try to keep the noise down?
Why not try speaking to the manager about your complaint?
Try to remember where you left your keys.
Let's try a different route to avoid traffic.
Try to look at the problem from a different perspective.
I'm going to try making sushi at home.
You should try studying at the library for better concentration.
The athlete will try for a new personal record.
We should try to conserve water during the drought.
She will try the dress in a smaller size.
Common Curiosities
How many syllables are in try?
There is one syllable in try.
What is a stressed syllable in try?
The entire word try is stressed, as it consists of only one syllable.
Why is it called try?
It is called try because it denotes making an attempt or effort to do something.
How is try used in a sentence?
"I will try to finish the project by the deadline."
How do we divide try into syllables?
Try is not divided into syllables as it is only one syllable.
What is the verb form of try?
The verb form is "try."
What is the pronunciation of try?
The pronunciation of try is /traɪ/.
What is the third form of try?
The third form (past participle) is "tried."
What is the first form of try?
The first (base) form is "try."
What part of speech is try?
Try is a verb.
What is the singular form of try?
As a verb, try does not have singular or plural forms in the sense that nouns do; it remains "try" for all subjects.
What is the root word of try?
The root word is "try." It comes from the Old French word "trier," meaning to pick out, separate, or attempt.
What is another term for try?
Another term for try could be "attempt."
What is the plural form of try?
Not applicable, as try is a verb and does not change form for plural subjects.
Is try a noun or adjective?
Try is primarily a verb, but it can also function as a noun in contexts like "give it a try."
What is the second form of try?
The second form (simple past) is "tried."
Is try a negative or positive word?
Try is a neutral word, often seen positively as it implies making an effort.
Is try a countable noun?
When used as a noun, try can be countable, as in "tries."
Is try a collective noun?
No, try is not a collective noun.
Is the word try is imperative?
Yes, try can be used in the imperative form, as in "Try harder."
Which determiner is used with try?
Determiners like "a," "the," or "another" can be used with try when it functions as a noun.
Is try an abstract noun?
When used as a noun, try refers to the act of making an attempt, which can be considered abstract.
Is the word try Gerund?
The gerund form of try is "trying."
Is try an adverb?
No, try is not an adverb.
Is try a vowel or consonant?
The word try starts with a consonant sound.
Is the try term a metaphor?
Try can be used metaphorically in various contexts to represent the effort or attempt to do something.
Is the word “try” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Try, when used as a verb, can take a direct object, e.g., "I will try the new method." As a noun, it can be a direct object, e.g., "Give it a try."
Which vowel is used before try?
This question is more applicable to nouns; however, an article like "a" can precede try when it is used as a noun.
Which conjunction is used with try?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or" can be used in sentences involving try.
What is the opposite of try?
The opposite of try could be "abandon" or "give up."
Which preposition is used with try?
Prepositions such as "to" (try to do something) or "for" (try for a goal) are commonly used with try.
Which article is used with try?
The indefinite article "a" or the definite article "the" can be used with try when it functions as a noun, as in "give it a try."
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
