# try

/ˈtɹaɪ/ (US) · /tɹˈaɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/try
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to attempt

verb · CEFR A1

to make an effort to do something, even if you are not sure you will succeed.

For teachers: to make an attempt or endeavour to achieve a specific goal; typically followed by a to-infinitive.

- I will try to finish my homework before the football game starts.
- The rescue team will try to reach the stranded climbers before the blizzard makes the mountain pass completely impassable.

### 2. to test or sample

verb · CEFR A2

to use, taste, or do something to see if you like it or if it works.

For teachers: to test the quality, effect, or utility of something through experimentation or sampling.

- You should try the local soup while you are visiting the city.
- Engineers decided to try a different alloy for the turbine blades to see if it could withstand higher temperatures without warping.

### 3. to judge in court

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to examine a case in a court of law to decide if someone is guilty.

For teachers: to examine and determine a case or a person's guilt in a judicial court.

- The man was tried for theft and found guilty by the jury.
- The defendant is scheduled to be tried in a federal court next month on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud.

Usage: Usually used in the passive voice when referring to the defendant.

### 4. to strain patience

verb · CEFR B2

to make someone feel annoyed or tired by being difficult.

For teachers: to subject someone's patience, temper, or endurance to a severe strain.

- The children's constant shouting really tried their mother's patience.
- The long delays at the airport and the lack of information began to try the patience of even the most seasoned travellers.

### 5. an attempt

noun · CEFR A2

an act of attempting to do something.

For teachers: an instance of making an effort; an attempt.

- I didn't catch the ball on my first try, but I got it the second time.
- Despite a valiant try by the underdog team in the final minutes, the defending champions secured their victory.

### 6. rugby score

noun · CEFR B1

a way of scoring points in rugby by touching the ball down behind the opponent's goal line.

For teachers: the primary method of scoring in rugby union and rugby league, involving grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area.

- The winger ran half the length of the field to score a brilliant try.
- The referee consulted the television match official before awarding the try, as there was some doubt about whether the ball had been grounded properly.

### 7. programming block

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a part of a computer program that tests code to see if it causes an error.

For teachers: a language construct used to define a block of code in which exceptions may be thrown and subsequently caught.

- Put the database connection code inside a try block to handle any connection errors.
- The developer implemented a try-catch-finally sequence to ensure that the file stream was closed regardless of whether an exception occurred during processing.

Usage: Almost always paired with a 'catch' or 'finally' block.

## Examples

- You should give painting a try.
- Although he failed the first time, his second try at the exam was a success.
- The team's final, desperate try to score in the last seconds was a masterpiece of coordinated effort, even though it ultimately fell short.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.