Giving Something a Try: English Vocabulary List

to proceed to do something even though it is risky or unlikely to succeed

"He decided to chance his arm and ask for a raise."

"The young actor decided to chance his arm and move to Hollywood to pursue his dream."

to gain the confidence, familiarity, and skills needed to perform well in a situation that is new to one

"He found his feet quickly here."

"After a few weeks at the new company, she finally found her feet and started feeling confident in her daily tasks."

to do something that one has not done before in order to become more experienced or familiar with it

"I got my feet wet today."

"Yesterday I finally got my feet wet by investing a small amount of money in the stock market for the first time."

to attempt to do something, particularly something that one has not tried to do before

"I will give it a shot."

"I have never tried sushi before but I will give it a shot tonight."

to attempt to do something that one has little to no experience in

"I will give cooking a whirl."

"Since she had never danced before, she decided to give salsa a whirl at the community center last weekend."

to try something to find out if it is effective, possible, good, etc.

"Please give this recipe a try."

"The coach encouraged the young athlete to give the new training method a try before the competition."

to try one's chance at something, particularly when success is not guaranteed

"Let's have a bash at it."

"I have never cooked Indian food before but I will have a bash at making curry tonight."

to make an attempt to achieve or do something

"I want to have a go at painting."

"I have never tried snowboarding before but I would like to have a go this winter."

to try to do something in a successful way

"He wants to have a shot at the title."

"The young athlete was excited to have a shot at competing in the Olympics."

to attempt to do something that one has no experience in

"I want to try my hand at painting."

"I decided to try my hand at painting during the lockdown and discovered a new hobby I love."

to make an attempt to do something with no guaranteed chance of success

"I will have a stab at it."

"Although he had never written poetry before, he decided to have a stab at composing a short poem."

to gain independence, confidence, and the willingness to try new things or take risks

"It is time to spread your wings."

"After college I want to spread my wings and travel around the world before settling down."

a thing that is done or introduced in order to test the public's opinion

"The senator floated a trial balloon."

"The senator floated a trial balloon and leaked a possible policy change to gauge public reaction."

to try something out or experiment with it with an open mind

"Give the new camera a twirl."

"I bought a new kite and cannot wait to give it a twirl in the park."

to try something new, often with the hope of success or improvement

"She wants to take a shot at it."

"After months of preparation, he finally decided to take a shot at starting his own small business."

to make an attempt to achieve or do something

"I will have a go."

"Even though it seemed difficult, she decided to have a go at solving the complex puzzle."

to pursue or try to achieve something

"Go for it!"

"She decided to go for the challenging opportunity despite the risks involved."