Trying vs. Try

Difficult to endure; arduous.

Irritating, stressful or bothersome.

(philosophy) The act by which one tries something; an attempt.

Adapted to try, or put to severe trial; severe; afflictive; as, a trying occasion or position.

hard to endure;

Example: ‘fell upon trying times’;

extremely irritating to the nerves;

Example: ‘nerve-racking noise’; ‘the stressful days before a war’; ‘a trying day at the office’;

To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive.

Example: ‘I tried to rollerblade, but I couldn’t.’; ‘I'll come to dinner soon. I'm trying to beat this level first.’;

(obsolete) To divide; to separate.

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

(one sort from another) To winnow; to sift; to pick out; frequently followed by out.

Example: ‘to try out the wild corn from the good’;

(nautical) To extract oil from blubber or fat; to melt down blubber to obtain oil

To extract wax from a honeycomb

To test, to work out.

To make an experiment. Usually followed by a present participle.

Example: ‘I tried mixing more white paint to get a lighter shade.’;

To put to test.

Example: ‘I shall try my skills on this.’;

(specifically) To test someone's patience.

Example: ‘You are trying my patience.’; ‘Don't fucking try me.’;

To taste, sample, etc.

Example: ‘Try this—you’ll love it.’;

To prove by experiment; to apply a test to, for the purpose of determining the quality; to examine; to prove; to test.

Example: ‘to try weights or measures by a standard;’; ‘to try a person's opinions’;

(legal) To put on trial.

Example: ‘He was tried and executed.’;

To experiment, to strive.

To have or gain knowledge of by experience.

To work on something.

Example: ‘You are trying too hard.’;

(obsolete) To do; to fare.

Example: ‘How do you try! (i.e., how do you do?)’;

To settle; to decide; to determine; specifically, to decide by an appeal to arms.

Example: ‘to try rival claims by a duel;’; ‘to try conclusions’;

To attempt to conceive a child.

(nautical) To lie to in heavy weather under just sufficient sail to head into the wind.

To strain; to subject to excessive tests.

Example: ‘The light tries his eyes.’; ‘Repeated failures try one's patience.’;

To want

Example: ‘I am really not trying to hear you talk about my mama like that.’;

An attempt.

Example: ‘I gave unicycling a try but I couldn’t do it.’;

An act of tasting or sampling.

Example: ‘I gave sushi a try but I didn’t like it.’;

(rugby) A score in rugby, analogous to a touchdown in American football.

Example: ‘Today I scored my first try.’;

A screen, or sieve, for grain.

(American football) a field goal or extra point

(obsolete) Fine, excellent.

To divide or separate, as one sort from another; to winnow; to sift; to pick out; - frequently followed by out; as, to try out the wild corn from the good.

To purify or refine, as metals; to melt out, and procure in a pure state, as oil, tallow, lard, etc.

Example: ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.’; ‘For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.’;

To prove by experiment; to apply a test to, for the purpose of determining the quality; to examine; to prove; to test; as, to try weights or measures by a standard; to try a man's opinions.

Example: ‘Let the end try the man.’;

To subject to severe trial; to put to the test; to cause suffering or trouble to.

Example: ‘Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased.’; ‘These are the times that try men's souls.’;

To experiment with; to test by use; as, to try a remedy for disease; to try a horse.

Example: ‘Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me.’; ‘To ease her cares the force of sleep she tries.’;

To strain; to subject to excessive tests; as, the light tries his eyes; repeated disappointments try one's patience.

To examine or investigate judicially; to examine by witnesses or other judicial evidence and the principles of law; as, to try a cause, or a criminal.

To settle; to decide; to determine; specifically, to decide by an appeal to arms; as, to try rival claims by a duel; to try conclusions.

Example: ‘Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried.’;

To experience; to have or gain knowledge of by experience.

Example: ‘Or try the Libyan heat or Scythian cold.’;

To essay; to attempt; to endeavor.

Example: ‘Let us try . . . to found a path.’; ‘He first deceased: she for a little triedTo live without him; liked it not, and died.’; ‘Alack, I am afraid they have a waked,And 't is not done. The attempt, and not the deed,Confounds us.’;

To exert strength; to endeavor; to make an effort or an attempt; as, you must try hard if you wish to learn.

To do; to fare; as, how do you try!

A screen, or sieve, for grain.

Act of trying; attempt; experiment; trial.

Example: ‘This breaking of his has been but a try for his friends.’;

In Rugby and Northern Union football, a score (counting three points) made by grounding the ball on or behind the opponent's goal line; - so called because it entitles the side making it to a place kick for a goal (counting two points more if successful).

Refined; select; excellent; choice.

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something;

Example: ‘made an effort to cover all the reading material’; ‘wished him luck in his endeavor’; ‘she gave it a good try’;

make an effort or attempt;

Example: ‘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’;

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

Example: ‘This approach has been tried with good results’; ‘Test this recipe’;

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

Example: ‘The football star was tried for the murder of his wife’; ‘The judge tried both father and son in separate trials’;

take a sample of;

Example: ‘Try these new crackers’; ‘Sample the regional dishes’;

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

Example: ‘The jury had heard all the evidence’; ‘The case will be tried in California’;

give pain or trouble to;

Example: ‘I've been sorely tried by these students’;

test the limits of;

Example: ‘You are trying my patience!’;

melt (fat, lard, etc.) in order to separate out impurities;

Example: ‘try the yak butter’; ‘render fat in a casserole’;

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

Example: ‘Try on this sweater to see how it looks’;

make an attempt or effort to do something

Example: ‘I started to try and untangle the mystery’; ‘I decided to try writing fiction’; ‘he tried to regain his breath’; ‘three times he tried the manoeuvre and three times he failed’;

use, test, or do (something new or different) in order to see if it is suitable, effective, or pleasant

Example: ‘everyone wanted to know if I'd tried jellied eel’; ‘these methods are tried and tested’;

attempt to achieve or attain

Example: ‘they decided to try for another baby’;

compete or audition for (a post or place on a team)

Example: ‘she tried out for the team’;

attempt to contact

Example: ‘I've tried the apartment, but the number is engaged’;

push or pull (a door or window) to determine whether it is locked

Example: ‘I tried the doors, but they were locked’;

make severe demands on (a person or a quality, typically patience)

Example: ‘Mary tried everyone's patience to the limit’;

subject (someone) to trial

Example: ‘he was arrested and tried for the murder’;

investigate and decide (a case or issue) in a formal trial

Example: ‘the case is to be tried by a jury in the Crown Court’;

smooth (roughly planed wood) with a plane to give an accurately flat surface.

extract (oil or fat) by heating

Example: ‘some of the fat may be tried out and used’;

an effort to accomplish something; an attempt

Example: ‘he got his membership card on his third try’;

an act of trying something new or different to see if it is suitable, effective, or pleasant

Example: ‘she agreed that they should give the idea a try’;

an act of touching the ball down behind the opposing goal line, scoring points and entitling the scoring side to a kick at goal.

an attempt to score an extra point after a touchdown.