try
[verb]
Synonyms:
- attempt, aim, endeavour, have a go, make an effort, seek, strive, struggle
- test, appraise, check out, evaluate, examine, investigate, put to the test, sample, taste
[noun]
Synonyms:
- attempt, crack (informal), effort, go (informal), shot (informal), stab (informal), whack (informal)

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Related Idioms: make trial of, put to proof, put to the test, do one's best (or utmost) to, have a go at
Related Words: inspect, scrutinize, appraise, judge, weigh, annoy, bother, vex, aim, aspire, hope, strike, dab, jab

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English Thesaurus: try, attempt, do your best, make an effort to do something, struggle, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. try¹ S1 W1 /traɪ/ verb (past tense and past participle tried, present participle trying, third person singular tries)
[Word Family: adjective: trying, untried; verb: try; noun: try]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: trier 'to pick out, sift', probably from Late Latin tritare 'to rub to pieces', from Latin terere 'to rub']

1. ATTEMPT [intransitive and transitive] to take action in order to do something that you may not be able to do:
Let’s have a rest and then we’ll try again.
try to do something
He tried to control his voice.
She was trying not to cry.
try and do something
Try and take some form of daily exercise.
try hard/desperately (to do something) (=make a lot of effort to do something)
She dabbed at her face and tried hard not to sniff.
I tried everything to lose weight with no success.
try your best/hardest (to do something) (=make as much effort as possible to do something)
I tried my best to comfort her.
I tried and tried (=kept making an effort) and eventually I was offered a job.
Try as he might (=as hard as he could), he could not get the incident out of his mind.
it wasn’t for lack/want of trying (=used to say that if someone does not achieve something it is not because they have not tried)
They didn’t get any goals, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying.
you couldn’t do something if you tried (=used to say that someone does not have the skill or ability to do something)
She couldn’t speak French if she tried.

2. TEST/USE [transitive] to do or use something for a short while to discover if it is suitable, successful, enjoyable etc:
It works really well – you should try it.
try doing something
They decided they would try living in America for a while.
Try logging off and logging on again.
try something new/different (=do or use something that is different from what you usually do or use)
If I'm going out for a meal, I prefer to try something different.
try something on somebody/something
We tried the machine on hardwood and soft wood.
try somebody on something
Petra’s trying the baby on solid foods.
try something for size (=put on a piece of clothing or test something to find out if it is the correct size or suitable)
Always try a sleeping bag for size before you buy it.
GRAMMAR
If you try to do something, you attempt to succeed in doing it:
We must try to prevent this happening.
If you try doing something, you do it in order to find out if it is enjoyable or produces the result you want:
Try using margarine instead of butter.

3. FOOD/DRINK [transitive] to taste food or drink to find out if you like it Synonym : taste:
Would you like to try some crisps?

4. TRY TO FIND SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [intransitive and transitive] to go to a place or person, or call them, in order to find something or someone:
Sorry, he’s not in. Would you like to try again later?
Let’s try Mouncy Street. He could be there.

5. DOOR/WINDOW [transitive] to attempt to open a door, window etc in order to see if it is locked:
She tried the door and it opened.
He tried the handle but the door was locked.

6. LAW [transitive usually passive] to examine and judge a legal case, or someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime in a court ⇒ trial
be tried for something
He was tried for attempting to murder his wife.
The defence argued that a regional court was not competent to try their case.

7. try sb’s patience to make someone feel impatient ⇒ trying:
The programs take too long to load and try the patience of young pupils.

8. try your hand at something to try a new activity in order to see whether it interests you or whether you are good at it:
I tried my hand at water-skiing for the first time.

9. try your luck to try to achieve something or get something you want, usually by taking a risk:
After the war my father went to Canada to try his luck at farming.

10. try it on (with somebody) British English spoken
a) to behave badly in order to find out how bad you can be before people become angry:
She is naughty, that one. She tries it on with me sometimes!
b) to attempt to start a sexual relationship with someone:
When I came back in, one of the men was trying it on with my wife!

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. try² S3 noun (plural tries) [countable]
[Word Family: adjective: trying, untried; verb: try; noun: try]

1. an attempt to do something:
She didn’t manage to break the record, but it was a good try.
‘You really think you can do that?’ ‘I’m going to have a try.’
‘What are the chances for getting tickets now?’ ‘I guess I could give it a try.’
It might sound a ludicrous excuse but he thought it was worth a try.
on the first/second etc try
Only half the students passed the test on their first try.

2. a test of something to see if it is suitable or successful or to find out if you like it:
I decided to give modelling a try.
Wines from Apulia’s ancient vineyards are well worth a try.

3. four points won by putting the ball on the ground behind the opponents’goal line in rugby

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

try
noun
I. attempt
ADJ. good, nice Never mind?it was a good try. Better luck next time.
another
VERB + TRY have Can I have a try?
give sth It looks difficult, but let's give it a try.
be worth It may not work, but it's certainly worth a try.
PREP. ~ at She's having another try at the marathon.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

try
II. scoring move in rugby
ADJ. dazzling, excellent, good, great, splendid, superb, well-taken | opening | last-minute, late | decisive, winning | penalty | pushover
VERB + TRY get, go over for, score | convert
PREP. ~ against He scored three tries against New Zealand.
~ by/from an excellent try by winger Neil Lang
 ⇒ Special page at SPORT

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

try
verb
ADV. desperately, frantically, hard She was trying desperately to stay afloat. Sam was trying hard not to laugh.
gamely, manfully, valiantly trying valiantly to smile through her tears
clumsily clumsily trying to make amends
feebly | in vain, unsuccessfully, vainly
VERB + TRY decide to I decided to try again.
be going to I hope you're not going to try and deny it.
be tempted to | be tempting to | let sb Can't you do it? Let me try.
PHRASES be just/only trying to do sth I was just trying to help!
give up trying I've given up trying to persuade her.
try your best/hardest/utmost I tried my best not to laugh.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

try

hard
She was trying hard not to show her impatience.
desperately
They try desperately to please other people.
unsuccessfully/in vain
He has tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking.
try your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible)
Try your best to block out other distractions.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

try to take action in order to do something that you may not be able to do:
I tried to explain what was wrong.
He tries hard in class, but he’s finding the work difficult.
attempt to try to do something, especially something difficult. Attempt is more formal than try and is used especially in written English:
Any prisoner who attempts to escape will be shot.
He was attempting to climb one of the world’s highest mountains.
do your best to try as hard as you can to do something:
We will do our best to help them.
make an effort to do something to try to do something, when you find this difficult:
It is worth making an effort to master these skills.
She made a big effort to be nice to him.
struggle to try very hard to do something that is very difficult, especially for a long time:
She’s still struggling to give up smoking.
Many of these families are struggling to survive.
strive formal to try very hard to achieve something:
The company must constantly strive for greater efficiency.
endeavour British English, endeavor American English /ɪnˈdevə $ -ər/ formal to try hard to do something:
Each employee shall endeavour to provide customers with the best service possible.
have a go/try informal to try to do something, especially when you are not sure that you will succeed:
I’m not very good at fixing taps, but I’ll have a go.
Do you want to have another try?
see if you can do something spoken to try to do something – used when offering to do something, or suggesting that someone should do something:
I’ll see if I can get you a ticket.
See if you can persuade her to come.
fight the process in which people try to stop something bad from happening or to improve a situation:
Schools have an important part to play in the fight against drugs.
women’s fight for equality
battle a fight to change a situation or deal with a problem in society:
The battle against racial discrimination is not over.
campaign a planned series of actions intended to achieve something:
Motoring organizations started a campaign for safer roads.
crusade someone’s fight against something they think is morally wrong:
She intends to continue her crusade against sex and violence on TV.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

try to take action in order to do something that you may not be able to do:
I tried to explain what was wrong.
He tries hard in class, but he’s finding the work difficult.
attempt to try to do something, especially something difficult. Attempt is more formal than try and is used especially in written English:
Any prisoner who attempts to escape will be shot.
He was attempting to climb one of the world’s highest mountains.
do your best to try as hard as you can to do something:
We will do our best to help them.
make an effort to do something to try to do something, when you find this difficult:
It is worth making an effort to master these skills.
She made a big effort to be nice to him.
struggle to try very hard to do something that is very difficult, especially for a long time:
She’s still struggling to give up smoking.
Many of these families are struggling to survive.
strive formal to try very hard to achieve something:
The company must constantly strive for greater efficiency.
endeavour British English, endeavor American English /ɪnˈdevə $ -ər/ formal to try hard to do something:
Each employee shall endeavour to provide customers with the best service possible.
have a go/try informal to try to do something, especially when you are not sure that you will succeed:
I’m not very good at fixing taps, but I’ll have a go.
Do you want to have another try?
see if you can do something spoken to try to do something – used when offering to do something, or suggesting that someone should do something:
I’ll see if I can get you a ticket.
See if you can persuade her to come.
have a try
I decided to have one last try.
give it a try informal
If your instinct is telling you to give it a try, then go ahead.
be worth a try (=be worth trying to do because you may succeed)
It’s worth a try – we’ve nothing to lose.
a good try
‘Do you really think you can win?’ ‘I’m going to have a darn good try.’
a nice try (=a good try that is not successful)
Nice try, Claudia, but not good enough, I’m afraid.
sb’s first/second try
This is his first try at directing.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲