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trying hard is not in our dictionary (yet). Here's what it could mean:

Confidence: high

Results generated using artificial intelligence.

phrase

  • Exerting a great deal of effort or energy toward a goal.
  • Informal, often derogatory. Behaving in a way that seems forced or overly eager to impress others, often perceived as inauthentic.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There’s still a lot on the docket for tomorrow—and a lot of potential tripwires that could shake the veneer of stability that both countries are trying hard to project.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

When we play games, he observes, we usually care about the “experiences that come from trying hard to win,” but we don’t necessarily care about winning itself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Thesaurus

Possible Synonyms

Words in our thesaurus

other words

  • exerting oneself
  • putting in the work
  • applying oneself
  • in one's bag
  • making an effort

Possible Antonyms

Words in our thesaurus

other words

  • quiet quitting
  • hardly trying
  • doing the bare minimum

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