tryhard

See also: try-hard

English

Alternative forms

try-hard

Etymology

From try +‎ hard.

Pronunciation

(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹaɪˌhɑɹd/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹaɪˌhɑːd/

Noun

tryhard (plural tryhards)

(informal, derogatory) A person usually of little talent who tries hard to succeed, especially through imitation, usually to gain fame or popularity.
(video games) A person who is perceived as putting too much effort into something recreational, such as a game.

Synonyms

wannabe, keener, cheug (cheugy in attributive contexts)

Translations

person of little talent

Spanish: arrastrado (es) m, esforzado (es) m

Adjective

tryhard (comparative more tryhard, superlative most tryhard)

(derogatory) Done to excess, to an embarrassing degree.
Synonym: overcooked

Verb

tryhard (third-person singular simple present tryhards, present participle tryharding, simple past and past participle tryharded)

(intransitive, video games) To put perhaps too much effort into a recreational activity, typically a game.
- 2018 January 16, Ryan Gilliam, “What should you expect your new rank to be?”, in The Rift Herald‎^[1]:
  Tryhard like you’ve never tryharded before. If you don’t get called a tryhard in game, you’re not tryharding enough. OK, so maybe don’t go overboard but, if you want to take ranked seriously this season, be sure to start off on the right foot.
- 2020 August 17, Alan Bernal, “Have tryhards ruined gaming? Viral video divides opinion”, in Dexerto‎^[2]:
  Some people view tryhards negatively since more casual players can get instantly overwhelmed by people in matchmaking that are hard-pressed to win rather than to just have fun. But that’s where an important distinction is being asked: is tryharding the same as simply trying to win.
- 2022 April 1, “Best League of Legends champs to pick in One For All game mode”, in DotEsports‎^[3]:
  If you’re looking to have fun while tryharding in One For All, you can’t go wrong with Malphite.