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try

verb · noun

Simple meaning

Make an effort or try.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

try
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈtɹaɪ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. Make an effort or attempt

  2. To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive.

  3. with indirect interrogative clause

    To attempt to determine (by experiment or effort).

  4. euphemisticof a couple

    To attempt to conceive a child.

  5. To separate (precious metal etc.) from the ore by melting; to purify, refine.

  6. one sort from another

    To winnow; to sift; to pick out; frequently followed by out.

noun

  1. An attempt.

  2. An act of tasting or sampling.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Very Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Make an effort or attempt

Used this way, try is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use try

  • “Try on this sweater to see how it looks.”verb

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • endeavor

    To attempt (something).

  • attempt

    Make an effort or attempt.

  • strain

    To make uneasy or unnatural.

  • render

    To make over as a return.

  • test

    To make a testament, or will.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

verb

Sense: make an effort or attempt

seekendeavoressayassayattemptArchaiceffort

noun

Sense: attempt

attemptstressTechnicalessayassay

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.