try

American  

[trahy] / traɪ /

verb (used with object)

tries, present (3rd person singular) tried, past participle, past trying present participle

1. to attempt to do or accomplish.

   Try it before you say it's simple.

2. to test the effect or result of (often followed byout ).

   to try a new method; to try a recipe out.

3. to endeavor to evaluate by experiment or experience.

   to try a new field; to try a new book.

4. to test the quality, value, fitness, accuracy, etc., of.

   Will you try a spoonful of this and tell me what you think of it?

5. Law. to examine and determine judicially, as a cause; determine judicially the guilt or innocence of (a person).

6. to put to a severe test; subject to strain, as of endurance, patience, affliction, or trouble; tax.

   to try one's patience.

7. to attempt to open (a door, window, etc.) in order to find out whether it is locked.

   Try all the doors before leaving.

8. to melt down (fat, blubber, etc.) to obtain the oil; render (usually followed byout ).

9. Archaic.

   1. to determine the truth or right of (a quarrel or question) by test or battle (sometimes followed byout ).

   2. to find to be right by test or experience.

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verb (used without object)

tries, present (3rd person singular) tried, past participle, past trying present participle

1. to make an attempt or effort; strive.

   Try to complete the examination.

2. Nautical. to lie to in heavy weather under just sufficient sail to head into the wind.

noun

tries plural

1. an attempt or effort.

   to have a try at something.

2. Rugby. a score of three points earned by advancing the ball to or beyond the opponents' goal line.

verb phrase

1. try on to put on an article of clothing in order to judge its appearance and fit.

   You can't really tell how it will look until you try it on.

2. try out for to compete for (a position, membership, etc.).

   Over a hundred boys came to try out for the football team.

3. try out to use experimentally; test.

   to try out a new car.

idioms

1. try it / that on,

   1. to put on airs.

      She's been trying it on ever since the inheritance came through.

   2. to be forward or presumptuous, especially with a potential romantic partner.

      She avoided him after he'd tried it on with her.

2. give it the old college try, to make a sincere effort.

   I gave it the old college try and finally found an apartment.

try British  

/ traɪ /

verb

1. to make an effort or attempt

   he tried to climb a cliff

2. to sample, test, or give experimental use to (something) in order to determine its quality, worth, etc

   try her cheese flan

3. (tr) to put strain or stress on

   he tries my patience

4. (tr; often passive) to give pain, affliction, or vexation to: I have been sorely tried by those children

5. 1. to examine and determine the issues involved in (a cause) in a court of law

   2. to hear evidence in order to determine the guilt or innocence of (an accused)

   3. to sit as judge at the trial of (an issue or person)

6. (tr) to melt (fat, lard, etc) in order to separate out impurities

7. obsolete to extract (a material) from an ore, mixture, etc, usually by heat; refine

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noun

1. an experiment or trial

2. an attempt or effort

3. rugby the act of an attacking player touching the ball down behind the opposing team's goal line, scoring five or, in Rugby League, four points

4. Also called: try for a point.  American football an attempt made after a touchdown to score an extra point by kicking a goal or, for two extra points, by running the ball or completing a pass across the opponents' goal line

try More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing try

• old college try
• tried

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Usage

Try followed by and instead of to has been in standard use since the 17th century: The Justice Department has decided to try and regulate jury-selection practices. The construction occurs only with the base form try, not with tries or tried or trying. Although some believe that try and is less formal than try to, both patterns occur in all types of speech and writing.

The use of and instead of to after try is very common, but should be avoided in formal writing: we must try to prevent (not try and prevent ) this happening

Synonym Usage

Try, attempt, endeavor, strive all mean to put forth an effort toward a specific end. Try is the most often used and most general term: to try to decipher a message; to try hard to succeed. Attempt, often interchangeable with try, sometimes suggests the possibility of failure and is often used in reference to more serious or important matters: to attempt to formulate a new theory of motion. Endeavor emphasizes serious and continued exertion of effort, sometimes aimed at dutiful or socially appropriate behavior: to endeavor to fulfill one's obligations. Strive, stresses persistent, vigorous, even strenuous effort, often in the face of obstacles: to strive to overcome a handicap.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retry
  verb
• pretry
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tries
  plural

Participles

• trying
  present
• tried
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• try
  simple
• tries
  simple
• have tried
  perfect
• has tried
  perfect
• am trying
  progressive
• are trying
  progressive
• is trying
  progressive
• have been trying
  perfect progressive
• has been trying
  perfect progressive

Past

• tried
  simple
• had tried
  perfect
• was trying
  progressive
• were trying
  progressive
• had been trying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will try
  simple
• will have tried
  perfect
• will be trying
  progressive
• will have been trying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of try

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English trien “to try (a legal case),” from Anglo-French trier, Old French “to sift, cull”; of uncertain origin

Explanation

Try describes putting effort into something, like when you try to draw a horse, or take a sample of something, like when you try a new flavor of ice cream. Another meaning is of try is to put on trial — a prosecutor might try a defendant for theft. Try can also describe testing the limits of something, like when a bratty kid you are babysitting tries your patience. When you add an ending to try, you need to change the y to an i, as in tried and tries. When you add -ing, however, you keep the y to form trying.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

try tries tried trying

And, in real time, we’re watching wannabe masters of the artificial-intelligence universe try to win an upper hand in controlling the new technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Amid rows of camp beds and stacks of food supplies at a makeshift shelter in Bordeaux, thousands of tourists and locals try to regain their composure after fleeing wildfires sweeping through southwest France.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

“We try to do as many projects as we can, ensuring also that we’re not affecting traffic in all areas of the city at the same time,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

"As long as you don't try to pet him, cuddle him or feed him, Jimothy poses zero public health risk," said the state health department on Threads, external.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

I look away, try to regain control of my heart, which is suddenly jerking around inside my chest.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

All eyes are on Taylor Farms and their contaminated lettuce, Trump tries a new tariff tactic, and Japan’s prime minister claims to barely sleep.

From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2026

The title track is full of thwarted desire, as Gavin tries and fails to get the attention of a girl who constantly leaves her dangling.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

But like a person who tries too hard to act quirky, they feel more forced than fun.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

If Washington "tries to force normalization on Riyadh, it's not likely to work out very well", said H.A.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

She mostly scribbles and tries to make letters, and I work on the winged leopard.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Cummings added he "tried not to think about the cost" of the sports club, but added "it's better than not working and looking after a kid who would be bored".

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

This isn’t the first time Apple has tried to work with Chinese memory suppliers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

In 1835, an unemployed house painter named Richard Lawrence tried to assassinate President Jackson.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

On Friday morning, Burke’s defense team tried to sow doubt about the conclusiveness of the autopsy conducted in the case.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

I’ve tried to explain to her that Dad doesn’t always see things the way other people do, and that he needs time to come around to the idea.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

But during these trying times, Lawson’s revamped Caesar salad is pure genius.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

Chevron started working in Kazakhstan in 1993 and is trying to secure a contract extension with the country’s government that would enable it to keep operating the project after 2033.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

"This is a dream scenario for the team that's trying to get this heat shield data."

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

I’m not just trying to take cheap shots at either company.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

I yell as I race, trying to glimpse Midnight.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Related Words

• attack
• seek
• struggle
• work