n.

1. earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something;
   attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour
   
   • made an effort to cover all the reading material
   • wished him luck in his endeavor
   • she gave it a good try

v.

1. make an effort or attempt;
   seek, attempt, essay, assay
   
   • 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
2. put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to;
   test, prove, try out, examine, essay
   
   • This approach has been tried with good results
   • Test this recipe
3. put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of;
   judge, adjudicate
   
   • The football star was tried for the murder of his wife
   • The judge tried both father and son in separate trials
4. take a sample of;
   sample, try out, taste
   
   • Try these new crackers
   • Sample the regional dishes
5. examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process;
   hear
   
   • The jury had heard all the evidence
   • The case will be tried in California
6. give pain or trouble to
   
   • I've been sorely tried by these students
7. test the limits of;
   strain, stress
   
   • You are trying my patience!
8. melt (fat or lard) in order to separate out impurities;
   render
   
   • try the yak butter
   • render fat in a casserole
9. put on a garment in order to see whether it fits and looks nice;
   try on
   
   • Try on this sweater to see how it looks