TRYING Synonyms: 139 Similar and Opposite Words

trying 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtrī-iŋ

Definition of trying

as in hard

difficult to endure a harrowing account of the trying conditions experienced by the climbers before they were rescued

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of try

as in stretching

to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress you're trying my patience

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in attempting

to make an effort to do try to unlock the door will try to call later tonight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of trying

Adjective

When your spouse passes away, this can be a very trying and confusing time. — Thomas Hager, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025 Jax is in the middle of his most trying experience since his rookie season. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025

Verb

Obsessed with him trying to plead down the family-wealth allegations. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026 Wang is accused of fleeing the state and trying to leave the country and fly back to China via Los Angeles International Airport, Wyoming prosecutors said. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trying

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trying

Adjective

Rejecing the marketing formula Brand building has gotten harder as marketing chiefs face growing pressure to prove their value.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Trump just didn’t understand—and didn’t care—that any chief’s most important duty is to tell the president hard truths.

— Chris Whipple, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of hard

Verb

Enter the extrait de parfum, a fragrance with concentration beginning at around 20 percent and stretching as high as 60 percent in some cases, versus typically 15 to 20 percent for an eau de parfum.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
The Fantasy Bra has a long history, stretching back 30 years.

— Max Berlinger, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretching

Verb

The push is attempting to cut down on wait times for crime victims accessing services and take inventory of the state’s violence prevention efforts under his tenure, according to an executive order obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

— Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
In attempting to pass the group, Ross came dangerously close to several cyclists, and one collided with his vehicle and fell.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of attempting

Adjective

The case has led to calls for tougher oversight of churches and other religious organizations in a country where religious faith plays a prominent role in public life.

— Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Thermal equilibrium might sound like a tough concept, but hundreds of systems reach them around us on a daily basis.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of tough

Verb

Because the switching happens thousands of times a second, the device can hold voltage steady, absorb a disturbance or operate in reverse, pushing power backward from batteries toward the grid.

— Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Those cases were part of a broader movement pushing the limits of who is accountable for a mass shooting.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of pushing

Verb

And those striving for zest under these circumstances may benefit from assistance from a mental health professional like a psychologist, a physical health provider like a physician, or a personal trainer or fitness instructor.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
There was a phone booth across the street where striving actors would take calls from their agents, before cell phones.

— Sam Kashner, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of striving

Adjective

What followed was a horrific night of physical and mental spousal abuse, which Adams describes in searing, emotional prose.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Artificial, which arrives in theaters on Christmas, may be the most searing of the lot.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of searing

Verb

Like so many Americans, Jenny Escolastico has watched wearily as the cost of living has risen, straining her household budget.

— Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
The payoff is a system that can handle more energy without straining the rest of the time.

— Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026