nice try

interjection
UK: /ˌnaɪs ˈtraɪ/
US: /ˌnaɪs ˈtraɪ/

  1. An expression used to acknowledge someone's effort, even though it was unsuccessful.

    1. You tried to trick me, but nice try. [ ] [ ]
    2. I see what you were aiming for; well, nice try, but it's not going to work this time around. [ ] [ ]
nice try idiom

  1. A comment made to someone who has attempted something and failed, often used in a slightly mocking or teasing way.

    1. You almost got it right, but nice try anyway. [ ] [ ]
    2. The politician attempted to dodge the question about the scandal; nice try, but everyone knows the truth. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "nice try" is /ˌnaɪs ˈtraɪ/ in British English and /ˌnaɪs ˈtraɪ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "nice try": "You tried to trick me, but nice try.". More examples on the page.