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

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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

Primetime will trace the origins of Hansen’s famed series To Catch a Predator, the wildly popular program that exposed alleged pedophiles by using hidden cameras to capture adults trying to meet underage teens in online chat rooms. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026 Mostly, the cast comes across as a group of friends and co-workers trying to produce comedy together, while fully aware that winning Game Changer just means getting two seconds of celebration and a gag prize. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trying

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trying

Adjective

Michael Mankins and Matthew Crupi want value maximization back as the objective, with stakeholder commitments as hard or soft constraints.

— Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Hrgović landed one, two, three hard right hands late in the round.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of hard

Verb

The move may mark more than another bout of bond-market volatility, with consequences stretching across economies and financial markets.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
The fires have spread across several provinces, creating a vast front of flames stretching from the center to the far east of the country.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of stretching

Verb

There have been some limited cases in which noncitizens have been criminally charged for voting or attempting to vote, including in Michigan, but it's been rare and not thought to have altered the outcome of any elections.

— Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Pakistan’s security forces killed 15 militants attempting to cross into the country from neighboring Afghanistan, the military said Thursday, a sign of continuing tensions along the border.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of attempting

Adjective

Space-grade electronics will cost more, and the ball’s shell—made from a material tough enough to roll over steel shards and withstand minus 184 °C temperatures—has never been evaluated in lunar extremes.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
Democratic leaders face tough decisions on where to spend limited party resources to win the Senate majority.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of tough

Verb

Subramanyam said his calls were monitored between March and May, noting that at the time the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was pushing for former Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
Yet, this will take a great deal of finesse, including pushing through a bill in parliament by buttering up Lord Hawthorne (Hugh Bonneville), who is willing to trade his vote for a night out with Susie’s brother, Jack (Harry Goodwins).

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pushing

Verb

However, instead of a conservative regression, Dressen has noticed institutions striving to adopt more innovative practices on a number of levels.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
But a home that cannot absorb something deeply meaningful is striving for taste at the expense of inauthenticity.

— Steven Weill, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of striving

Adjective

The rolling mountain landscape becomes an undulating patchwork quilt of searing scarlets, terracottas, vermillions, and more.

— Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Once the film was released, critics widely praised Page’s searing performance as the doomed Greek soldier Sinon, and even some of Page’s detractors online were won over by his work.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of searing

Verb

Norman also has a tendency to raise fiscal concerns about some of the president’s priorities, at times straining his relationship with the president.

— Justin Papp, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Data centers have become the largest driver of surging electricity demand that is straining US power grids.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026