Word.ws English Dictionary

trying on for size

trying on for size is the present participle and gerund of try on for size.

Meaning of try on for size

Verb

try on for size (third-person singular simple present tries on for size, present participle trying on for size, simple past and past participle tried on for size)

  1. (literally, transitive) To test an item of clothing by wearing it, to determine if it is the correct size.
  2. (figuratively, transitive) To test something for suitability.
  3. (figuratively, transitive) To ponder or consider an idea.
    • "Cool. So obviously that's your outfit's kinda thing, but try this on for size on top of it: I did not forget. I still haven't."2023 October 22, HarryBlank, “Waiting to Happen”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 23 May 2024
  4. (figuratively, imperative, transitive) To receive an imminent attack.
    • Mona: Try this vampire bolt on for size!1999, Mona the Vampire, "The X-Change Student" (season 1, episode 6a)

Questions about trying on for size

What is trying on for size the present participle and gerund of?
Trying on for size is the present participle and gerund of try on for size.

Words near trying on for size in the dictionary

  1. trying for size
  2. trying it on
  3. trying it on the dog
  4. trying it out on the dog
  5. trying on
  6. trying on for size
  7. trying one's hand
  8. trying one's luck
  9. trying one's wings
  10. trying out
  11. trying someone's patience

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: trying on for size (page history and authors); try on for size (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “trying on for size.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/trying_on_for_size. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.