tried-and-true
Americanadjective
Usage
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?
Etymology
Origin of tried-and-true
First recorded in 1930–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Some people who had been purchasing Beyond Meat because they had thought it was healthier, or because of novelty, decided maybe I’ll just stick with the old tried-and-true and save a little money,” Stambor said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 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 distributors, dizzy from years of surprises and disruption, are hankering for a universally appealing, tried-and-true marketing campaign, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
Unfortunately, the tried-and-true strategy had one of its worst years on record in 2022.
From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026
The new doctors all agreed on various tried-and-true medications, and within forty-eight hours of their coming on the case, the King was dead.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
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.
