English · Idiom Candidate

try it on

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

to test or experiment with something

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Thử nghiệm hoặc kiểm tra điều gì đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: put something on like clothing

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Examples

I'll try it on for size to see if it fits my needs

AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sources & notes

Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

to make attempt, generally applied to an effort at imposition. An extortionate charge or a begging-letter is frequently described as "a regular TRY-ON."

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

thử nghiệm, thường áp dụng cho nỗ lực lừa đảo

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “try it on” mean?

to test or experiment with something Literally: put something on like clothing

Is “try it on” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.