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

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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

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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

So people end up trying to tough it out, like Petty and Gentner. — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026 For now, the chancellor is trying to strike a more upbeat tone than his predecessor. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trying

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trying

Adjective

Will his veteran line trust him to have the answers when things get hard?

— Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The death of country music, movie, theme park and, frankly, all-around icon Dolly Parton hit a lot of people hard.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of hard

Verb

Cinnamon ferns form hummocks, with tightly wound fiddleheads stretching upwards toward the sun, just beginning to unfurl into emerald fronds.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
The base of the light cone will start near Cancer, resting just above the horizon, stretching upward through Gemini, and reaching high into the predawn sky toward Taurus.

— Jules-Pierre Malartre, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of stretching

Verb

The nineteenth century saw authors in other countries (Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Norway) attempting to firm up their nationalist claims by ransacking popular ballads, rustic legends, and oral traditions.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Hong KongReuters — A Hong Kong court convicted Dow Jones, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, on Thursday of attempting to block a former reporter from becoming the head of a press union, but cleared it of unlawfully firing her.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of attempting

Adjective

Competing in a Grand Tour is one of sport’s toughest endurance tests.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Trump used several minutes of his speech to praise Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is in a tough Senate race in America's largest red state.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of tough

Verb

By contrast, Fulham are pushing both full-backs on, while only the deepest midfielder (and occasionally Alex Iwobi on the left) are nearby to protect the centre-backs if the ball is lost.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Over the years, oil chemistries have gotten more sophisticated to cope with the stresses of tinier engines pushing bigger boost while also mitigating their environmental impact.

— Adam Ismail, The Drive, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of pushing

Verb

Rome’s deputy mayor for sustainable mobility and transport, Eugenio Patanè, is striving to restore order and reduce traffic — and not just golf carts.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
OpenAI is striving to regain the initiative in the AI race against a backdrop of growing anxiety from experts, tech leaders, and the public over the risks of frontier AI.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of striving

Verb

Ukraine, meanwhile, has extended its own long-range drone campaign deep into Russia, straining air defenses across its bigger neighbor's vast territory.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
This is Ohtani’s first time on the IL since straining his oblique at the end of his tenure with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026