try

UK /tɹaɪ/ US /tɹaɪ/

verb 5noun 5adj 1

Definitions

verb

To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive.

I tried to rollerblade, but I couldn’t.

Can you start the car? —I'll try (to).

To divide; to separate.

[…]euery feend his buſie paines applyde, / To melt the golden metall, ready to be tryde.

To divide; to separate.

to try out the wild corn from the good

the wylde corne, beinge in shap and greatnesse lyke to the good, if they be mengled, with great difficultie will be tried out

To divide; to separate.

noun

An attempt.

I gave unicycling a try but I couldn’t do it.

There was the day also when his favourite right uppercut had connected in most accurate and rhythmical fashion with the protruded chin of Bull Wardell of Whitechapel, whereby Silas put himself in the way of a Lonsdale Belt and a try for the championship.

An act of tasting or sampling.

I gave sushi a try but I didn’t like it.

A score in rugby league and rugby union, analogous to a touchdown in American football.

Today I scored my first try.

But two penalties and a drop-goal from Jonny Wilkinson, despite a host of other wayward attempts, plus a late try from Chris Ashton were enough to send a misfiring England through.

A screen, or sieve, for grain.

They will not passe thorough the holes of the sieve, ruddle or trie, if they be narrow.

A field goal or extra point

adj

Fine, excellent.

But he her ſuppliant hands, thoſe hands of gold, / And eke her feete, thoſe feete of ſiluer trye, […] Chopt off […].

Collocations

(noun.) attempt

ADJ

good, nice

That was a nice try, but you need to practice more before the game next week.

another

VERB + TRY

have

She had a try at making homemade pasta, but it turned out quite messy.

give sth

I've never done rock climbing before, but I decided to give it a try last weekend.

be worth

That new restaurant downtown gets great reviews, so it's definitely worth a try this weekend.

PREP

~ at

My brother is having another try at learning to play the guitar this year.

(noun.) 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

She tried against all odds to finish the marathon despite her injury.

~ by/from

The winning try from the fullback in the final minute secured victory for the home team.

(verb.)

ADV

desperately, frantically, hard

The student tried hard to understand the difficult math problem before the test.

gamely, manfully, valiantly

He gamely tried to fix the broken bicycle even though he had never done it before.

clumsily

He clumsily tried to fix the broken vase before his mother got home.

feebly

in vain, unsuccessfully, vainly

VERB + TRY

decide to

She decided to try a different route to work after getting stuck in traffic.

be going to

She's going to try the new Italian restaurant downtown next weekend.

be tempted to

be tempting to

let sb

My phone wasn't working, so I let my friend try to fix it.

PHRASES

be just/only trying to do sth

She was only trying to finish her homework when her brother interrupted her.

give up trying

After months of practice, he finally gave up trying to play the violin.

try your best/hardest/utmost

She tried her hardest to finish the project before the deadline.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accompl

verb — melt (fat or lard) in order to separate out impurities

render

verb — take a sample of

verb — test the limits of

verb — examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process

hear

verb — put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the tria

verb — make an effort or attempt

verb — put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental us

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

try one's hand

To attempt a skill, craft, trade, or action, possibly for the first time.

I thought I'd try my hand at woodworking, until I saw how much the tools cost.

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs

Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

give something a try

To try or attempt something.

I always wanted to give windsurfing a try. I reckon it could be fun.

if at first you don't succeed, try try again

indicates the importance of persistence in the pursuit of success.

try it on

To test someone to see how much bad behaviour they will tolerate; to try to deceive someone to see how gullible they are.

“Come, come,” said James, putting his hand to his nose and winking at his cousin with a pair of vinous eyes, “no jokes, old boy; no trying it on on me. You want to trot me out, but

Example Bank

I tried to rollerblade, but I couldn’t.

Wiktionary

Can you start the car? —I'll try (to).

Wiktionary

Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago. Next day she found her way to their lodgings and tried to rec

Wiktionary

I gave unicycling a try but I couldn’t do it.

Wiktionary

There was the day also when his favourite right uppercut had connected in most accurate and rhythmical fashion with the protruded chin of Bull Wardell of Whitechapel, whereby Silas put himself in the

Wiktionary

When Papillon makes his last impossible try for freedom they embrace with the tendresse of lovers, however manly and platonic.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, try is marked as obsolete, UK. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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