tryhard

American  

[trahy-hahrd] / ˈtraɪˌhɑrd /

Or try-hard

noun

1. an underskilled or untalented participant attempting to compensate with sheer effort in order to succeed.

   We annihilated a whole team of tryhards in their first multiplayer match.

2. a person who participates in a game or other activity with too much enthusiasm, emotion, effort, or commitment.

   These tryhards need to take a moment, take a breath, and chill out.

3. someone creating a false image to appear more attractive or appealing; a phony; a poser.

   He’s just a tryhard who thought buying a convertible would help him pick up girls.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make an obvious effort to excel, but achieve only moderate success, especially when measured against ambitious goals: The men’s national team tryharded during the qualifiers, but it wasn’t enough to send them to the World Cup.

   New tech companies are tryharding with this next generation of smartphones.

   The men’s national team tryharded during the qualifiers, but it wasn’t enough to send them to the World Cup.

Etymology

Origin of tryhard

First recorded in 1980–85; try ( def. ) + hard ( def. )

Example Sentences

But Deadpool is and always has been a faux-naughty edgelord and tryhard.

From Los Angeles Times

The Band Camino have been around for five years, pumping out popular singles and the terrific EP “tryhard” that feature their propulsive, hook-heavy blend of rock and pop with confessional lyrics and a sly sense of humor.

From Seattle Times

To critics, he came off as a bit of a tryhard, which made him a perfect fit for how most of America sees LA.

From The Guardian

With YA, the task is the same, just inverted — if your characters are young, you must inhabit the headspace of a teenager without coming off as an Tryhard Old™.

From The Verge

Except the Vampire Diaries was better than all of them, certainly superior to the gratuitous, tryhard True Blood and second only to Buffy in the all-time pecking order.

From The Guardian