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Try Very Common

Try has 13 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

"made an effort to cover all the reading material"

"wished him luck in his endeavor"

"she gave it a good try"

2

An attempt.

"She decided to try again after failing her driving test last week."

In plain English: A try is an attempt to do something.

"The doctor advised that one final try might help him get over the fear of flying."

Verb
1

make an effort or attempt

"He tried to shake off his fears"

"The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"

"The police attempted to stop the thief"

"He sought to improve himself"

"She always seeks to do good in the world"

2

put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to

"This approach has been tried with good results"

"Test this recipe"

3

put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of

"The football star was tried for the murder of his wife"

"The judge tried both father and son in separate trials"

4

take a sample of

"Try these new crackers"

"Sample the regional dishes"

5

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

"The jury had heard all the evidence"

"The case will be tried in California"

6

give pain or trouble to

"I've been sorely tried by these students"

try
7

test the limits of

"You are trying my patience!"

8

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

"try the yak butter"

"render fat in a casserole"

9

put on a garment in order to see whether it fits and looks nice

"Try on this sweater to see how it looks"

10

To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive.

"She decided to try to finish the report before the meeting started."

In plain English: To try means to make an effort to do something or to test if something works.

"She decided to try the new restaurant downtown."

Usage: Use this verb with an object when you mean to test something, such as trying on clothes or testing the water temperature. When referring to making an effort to do something, place it directly before a base verb like "try calling" rather than using gerunds unless indicating experimentation.

Adjective
1

Fine, excellent.

"You should try that new Italian restaurant; it is absolutely fine and delicious."

"The movie was a try film that everyone loved."

Example Sentences
"The movie was a try film that everyone loved." adj
"The doctor advised that one final try might help him get over the fear of flying." noun
"She decided to try the new restaurant downtown." verb
See Also
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)

Origin

The word "try" comes from Middle English trien, which originally meant to separate, sift, or select items. It traveled into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French before evolving to include the modern sense of testing something's quality or conducting a legal trial.

Rhyming Words
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