Synonyms of try

try 1 of 2

verb

ˈtrī 

1

as in to stretch

to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress

you're trying my patience

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stretch
• push
• test
• get (to)
• strain
• bother
• annoy
• tax
• irritate
• harass
• pressure
• demand
• importune
• exact
• pester
• aggravate
• pain
• spite
• rile
• irk
• exasperate
• press
• gnaw (at)
• agitate
• vex
• grate
• harry
• gall
• hassle
• peeve
• nettle

2

as in to attempt

to make an effort to do

try to unlock the door

will try to call later tonight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attempt
• strive
• seek
• endeavor
• hope
• shoot for
• essay
• shoot at
• work
• struggle
• aim
• assay
• fight
• have a go at
• try one's hand (at)
• undertake
• trouble
• aspire
• toil
• assume
• take up
• strain

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quit
• drop
• give up

try

2 of 2

noun

as in attempt

an effort to do or accomplish something

was granted another try at the field goal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attempt
• go
• stab
• offer
• endeavor
• bid
• shot
• pass
• trial
• essay
• crack
• assay
• struggle
• bash
• whack
• whirl
• fling
• striving
• undertaking
• throes
• trial and error

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb try differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of try are attempt, endeavor, essay, and strive. While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

tried to determine which was the better procedure

When can attempt be used instead of try?

In some situations, the words attempt and try are roughly equivalent. However, attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

Where would endeavor be a reasonable alternative to try?

The synonyms endeavor and try are sometimes interchangeable, but endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

When is essay a more appropriate choice than try?

The words essay and try can be used in similar contexts, but essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

When is it sensible to use strive instead of try?

While the synonyms strive and try are close in meaning, strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

continues to strive for peace

Examples of try in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The pair’s supernatural psycho-technological bond causes major disruptions to global information infrastructure, alarming world leaders who try to find the source of the hack. —Ruby Thélot, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2024

The irony of all this is, of course, is that even AI’s cheerleaders have invoked the history of nuclear proliferation to try to convey the need for guardrails around artificial intelligence (just as long as the regulations don’t slow them down or curtail their profit-making in any way). —Allison Morrow, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024

Noun

The world’s governments have agreed to give it a try. —Dylan Scott, Vox, 24 Sep. 2024

After about twenty tries, Marguerite began to speak to me. —Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2024

Phrases Containing try

• try (out)
• try one's hand (at)