give it a try

VERB

[/ɡɪv ɪt ə traɪ/]

to attempt something or test something to see if it works or if you like it

💡 Concept

Nervous at the climbing wall, she finally decides to give it a try.

🎵 Rhyme

Give it a try, and fly through the sky!

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ɡɪv ɪt ə traɪ/

🇬🇧 UK/ɡɪv ɪt ə traɪ/

🌳Etymology

Origin

This phrase combines Old Norse 'gefa' (to give) and French 'trier' (to try), forming a modern English idiom. It developed from the conceptual metaphor of 'giving' oneself an opportunity to 'attempt' something, blending Germanic and Romance linguistic elements.

Breakdown

give (from Old Norse 'gefa', meaning to bestow or grant) + try (from French 'trier', meaning to attempt or test). The phrase semantically merges the notion of offering oneself a chance with the act of attempting.

🎵Rhyme

tryflyskywhy

try

fly

sky

why

🔗Collocations

give it a try first

willing to give it a try

decide to give it a try

give it a fair try

give it another try

give it a good try

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My grandmother insisted on learning TikTok dances, saying 'I'll give it a try, what's the worst that could happen?'”

“Even though I'm terrible at cooking, I decided to give making sushi a try for my date.”

“The math problem looked impossible, but the teacher encouraged us to give it a try anyway.”

😄 Fun example

“When my cat saw me doing yoga, he decided to give it a try and ended up sleeping in downward dog pose.”

📚Related Words

Synonyms

attempthave a gotake a shothave a crack attest out

Antonyms

give upavoidrefuse

experimenttrialeffortventureendeavor

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give it a try — to attempt something or test something to see if it works or if you like it

Example Sentences