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

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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

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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

Dransfield said: "He made eye contact with me, and my first thought was to just grab him to try and help him."

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

The first test will come when the Texans try to pick up their second win of the season in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

"Every reform, everything that you try to do when you try to change the status quo, there is pushback," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Scotland managed to hold out for close to another 20 minutes before Whitaker broke clear to score her second try with 15 minutes remaining.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

I try to prepare myself for Dara’s date with Elliott—you know, motivational words like, “You don’t hate your fave cousin” and “Who needs boys anyway?”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Brown raced 109 metres up to the other end to score one of the longest-range tries in women's rugby league history, and thoroughly demoralise Wales.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Australia, though, responded with five tries by half-time.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Tech giant Google has been quietly making overtures to major studios as it tries to find ways to get Hollywood to use its AI technology.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

He’ll leave the final call up to the Lakers’ medical staff as the team tries to maximize its preseason preparation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

He tries to brush past, but Colin blocks the way to the door.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Throughout the playoffs, the Dodgers tried to lean into their age as an asset.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The court order, obtained after Jeanie’s older brothers Jimmy and Johnny Buss tried to oust her from the organization, installed Janie and Joey as co-trustees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

"I would find that I'd be down these really deep rabbit holes... it was like no matter how hard you tried to get out, you couldn't."

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

And I should make it clear, as I tried to do in the film, that what we hear from him are actual audio recordings of him.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

I tried to imply clandestine dealings with a high occupation official.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Every year, hundreds of animals die trying to cross State Route 62, connecting L.A. and Joshua Tree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Washington has spent years trying to reduce its allies’ dependence on Chinese technology in these sectors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Curtis Hall denied it was trying to avoid having to make such an application by limiting the plant to 49.9MW.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

She said she went to the school "trying to make sense of what's going on."

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

When I ask him if the turmoil that comes with trying to change things is worth it, his reply is short and certain: yes.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

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Related Words

• attack
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