What does tried-and-true mean? Tried-and-true is used to describe things that are known to work or be reliable due to having been tested or having worked many times before. The term uses the sense of the word true meaning reliable and unfailing. Tried-and-true is most often used to describe methods, tools, or other things that someone believes to be reliable because they’ve used many times before and they’ve always worked. It’s often used in situations in which someone wants to continue using the same method or tool they’ve been using to do something instead of trying something new that they’re unfamiliar with (even if it may work better). It’s sometimes used without hyphens, as tried and true. However, if it’s used immediately before a noun, it’s usually hyphenated, as in a tried-and-true method for getting out stains. Example: Why should we try a new recipe for chocolate chip cookies when we could just stick to the one that’s tried-and-true and that we’ve used for years?
First recorded in 1930–35
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While superconducting is seen as a tried-and-true method that leverages standard semiconductor manufacturing, neutral atoms are rapidly gaining traction as a promising alternative.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Then there’s the even more tried-and-true path of breaking into acting.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
For some listeners, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” may seem like an unwelcome shift away from the tried-and-true pop sensibilities of “Harry’s House.”
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026
And the top gifting categories do remain the tried-and-true ones, according to the NRF — namely, candy, greeting cards, flowers, jewelry and treating your loved one to an evening out.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026
Dr. Wells’s replies revolve around small-town practicalities, insurance allowances, and the tried-and-true methods employed by Mercy Hospital.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
