trying
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- tryingly adverb
- tryingness noun
- untrying adjective
Etymology
Origin of trying
First recorded in 1570–80 for the sense “attempting”; 1710–20 for the current sense; try + -ing 2
Explanation
Use the adjective trying to describe an experience that is exasperating or difficult. Babysitting rascally kids for hours can be a trying ordeal. If you've had a trying week, you'll be relieved and happy when Friday night finally arrives. Trying things can be upsetting, tricky, or strenuous. This word comes from a sense of the verb try that means "to make severe demands on a person, or on a person's patience." The first recorded use of trying was in the early 18th century.
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.
The 51-year-old, who earns between $150,000 and $200,000 a year, isn’t trying to cut back on spending overall.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
"I'm trying to slowly find my way back - both on and off the court." said Vondrousova.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
“Especially, when I spent so many years trying to become what I thought people wanted. And the whole time, what people wanted was what I thought was undesirable.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
The good news for crypto investors is that, in lieu of a bill, the Trump administration is trying to make it easier in other ways for the industry to flourish.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
We’d promised each other that we’d be together when we opened the emails, but she still won’t talk to me, even though I’ve sent her about forty-seven hundred messages apologizing and trying to explain.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
