try
make an effort or attempt
How often you will meet it
Rank 528 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 37,093 times across 139,755 chapters — 0.018% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
verb
- make an effort or attempt also: seek, attempt, essay, assay He tried to shake off his fearsThe infant had essayed a few wobbly steps
- put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to also: test, prove, try out, examine, essay This approach has been tried with good resultsTest this recipe
- put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of also: judge, adjudicate The football star was tried for the murder of his wifeThe judge tried both father and son in separate trials
- take a sample of also: sample, try out, taste Try these new crackersSample the regional dishes
- examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process also: hear The jury had heard all the evidenceThe case will be tried in California
- give pain or trouble to I've been sorely tried by these students
try in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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But if she’d only tell me I’d try.
Ethan Frome · Edith Wharton · Chapter 1
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And, though he try his best, be "out of luck."
Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 · Various · Chapter 1
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Pray, why not try, for novelty, a kind of solo speaking?
Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 08, May 21, 1870 · Various · Chapter 1
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Try every child in every child's part before you make your final selection of the cast of characters.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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Mux, knowing that all conversation was irrevocably closed after his prayers were said, would try every night to prolong this period.
Cornelli · Johanna Spyri · Chapter 1