Attempt vs Try and force it down

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Attempt

Top 2,000 (common) B2 noun

Try and force it down

Informal Top 5,000 (fairly common)

Most formal: Attempt Most common: Attempt

	Attempt	Try and force it down
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/əˈtempt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/əˈtempt/"]/	🇬🇧 //traɪ ənd fɔːs ɪt daʊn// 🇺🇸 //traɪ ənd fɔrs ɪt daʊn//
Meaning	To try to do something.	To attempt to make something happen despite difficulties.
Example	Her attempt to climb the mountain was met with several challenges.	He tried and forced it down despite how heavy the box was.
Register	Neutral	Informal
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 5,000 (fairly common)
CEFR level	B2	-
Part of speech	noun
Collocations	successful, abortive, botched, make, succeed in, abandon, succeed, fail, in an/​the attempt, attempt at, attempt by, an attempt on somebody’s life, at the first, second, etc. attempt, in the first, second, etc. attempt, successful, abortive, botched, make, succeed in, abandon, succeed, fail, in an/​the attempt, attempt at, attempt by, an attempt on somebody’s life, at the first, second, etc. attempt, in the first, second, etc. attempt	try and succeed, try and push, force it hard, force it quickly, force it away
Antonyms	abandon, give up, quit	-
Common mistakes	'Attempted to' is often confused with 'tried to'., Learners sometimes use 'attempt' without an object, which is incorrect., Confusion between 'attempt' (to try) and 'achieve' (to succeed).	Confusing 'try and' with 'try to', Incorrectly using it with non-physical objects, Omitting 'it' when referring to something specific
Usage notes	Use 'attempt' when referring to trying to achieve something, especially when the outcome is uncertain. It's suitable in both spoken and written contexts but may sound a bit formal in casual conversation.	Use in casual conversation. Avoid in formal writing. Implies a struggle to achieve something.

See it in real clips

those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers.

The Pitt › S1 E1

- LMA in place. - Suicide attempt?

Top Gear › S1 E1

Final attempt at this. We've been trying to prove

those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers.

The Pitt › S1 E1

- LMA in place. - Suicide attempt?

Attempt

Agent Carter › S1 E1

but I can try and force it down.

Try and force it down

Frequently asked questions: Attempt vs Try and force it down

What's the difference between Attempt and Try and force it down?

Attempt: To try to do something. Try and force it down: To attempt to make something happen despite difficulties.

Which is more formal: Attempt and Try and force it down?

Attempt is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: Attempt and Try and force it down?

Attempt is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Attempt: Her attempt to climb the mountain was met with several challenges. Try and force it down: He tried and forced it down despite how heavy the box was.

Can I use Attempt and Try and force it down interchangeably?

Not always. Attempt and Try and force it down are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.