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

Confirming that it had referred itself to the IPOC, the Metropolitan Police said it was aware of media reports that it had try to obtain a copy of the letter.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Holger Schmieding, chief economist at the bank Berenberg, predicted that EU leaders would try to fill the vacancies "as a package, no later than the EU summit of 17-18 December, and possibly beforehand".

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

It also makes note of rising beef costs and ‘higher protein usage’ as people try to find ways to pack more protein into their diets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The law changed the legal landscape and paved the way for the city to try again to pass a ban.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

“You have to try the frybread, of course. Isn’t that right, Dulas?”

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

Chipotle’s stock is down 22.4% so far this year, as the chain tries to stand out among a sea of discounts and promos from sit-down restaurants and fast-food chains.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

Among the murkier aspects of this setup is what will happen if the trustees come to feel that the co-founders have lost their devotion to safety and their board majority tries to right the ship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

"I see myself as someone who tries to defend his country's narrative," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

Still, he tries to leave his work at the office.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

She tries to turn off the TV, but the batteries are strewn across the rug.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Bavuma had pushed and driven outside off stump to that point but, with a silly point now in place, he was dragged from his crease and tried to force through mid-wicket.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Customers have come in with recommendations from ChatGPT, relaying them to these athletes who, little do they know, have tried nearly every shoe imaginable because they run 100-plus miles a week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Manfre said he tried to leave the booth to put some distance between them, but the man, shown in video footage wearing a cap, blocked his exit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

George Epstein, of the Conway Daily Sun, tried to ask one candidate, before immediately course-correcting: “Excuse me—Chris Sununu is definitely the wrong name to use.”

From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026

I tried to explain to him that Mr. Harris was a lot more than that.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Asked about regulatory challenges, Xu said Thursday that the combination will help bring delivery and marketing technologies to smaller grocers trying to compete with the biggest platforms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

"We are trying to take on apprentices on the farm but we're finding it so hard now to make it pay."

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

"If you get the science right, it's consistent. It's our understanding of what it's trying to tell us that has to catch up."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026

“I’m trying to not leave anything on the table.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

I’m done trying to be someone I’m not.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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Related Words

• attack
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