tryhard

or try-hard

[ trahy-hahrd ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an underskilled or untalented participant attempting to compensate with sheer effort in order to succeed:
We annihilated a whole team of tryhards in their first multiplayer match.
a person who participates in a game or other activity with too much enthusiasm, emotion, effort, or commitment:
These tryhards need to take a moment, take a breath, and chill out.
someone creating a false image to appear more attractive or appealing; a phony; a poser:
He’s just a tryhard who thought buying a convertible would help him pick up girls.

to make an obvious effort to excel, but achieve only moderate success, especially when measured against ambitious goals: The men’s national team tryharded during the qualifiers, but it wasn’t enough to send them to the World Cup.
New tech companies are tryharding with this next generation of smartphones.
The men’s national team tryharded during the qualifiers, but it wasn’t enough to send them to the World Cup.

Origin of tryhard¹

First recorded in 1980–85; try ( def ) + hard ( def )

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