We should always show appreciation when someone tries to help us out, even if they don’t succeed in doing so!
But is “thank you for trying” an appropriate way to express gratitude?
In this article, we discuss the correctness of this phrase and provide a list of helpful synonyms that you can use in professional or informal circumstances.
Other Ways to Say “Thank You for Trying”
- Your efforts are appreciated
- Thanks for giving it a go
- Thanks anyway
- Appreciate your help
- Thank you for your time
- Thank you, though
- Appreciate you trying
- Thank you anyway
- Thank you all the same
- Appreciate that you tried
- Grateful regardless
- Still grateful, nonetheless
- Thanks for doing your best
- Thank you for taking the trouble
- Thanks for giving it a shot
- Appreciate you trying your hand
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “Thank you for trying” is grammatically correct and you can use it in both professional and informal circumstances, depending on context.
- A slightly more formal variant of “thank you for trying” is “your efforts are appreciated.”
- As an informal variant, you can say “thank you for giving it a go.”
We’re not done yet! Keep reading to see a couple of examples using our favorite professional and informal synonyms for “thank you for trying.”
After that, we’ll discuss whether “thank you for trying” is the right phrase to use after all. Will you come across as rude if you use it?
Your Efforts are Appreciated (Formal)
If you’re trying to figure out how to say “thank you for trying” professionally, our favorite formal synonym is “your efforts are appreciated.”
This phrase is a suitably polite way to express gratitude for someone’s efforts, even when they have failed to do what they intended to do.
It’s formal without coming across as passive-aggressive or indifferent. It is certainly the more formal option than “thank you for trying,” although the original phrase wouldn’t be considered unacceptable in a formal setting either.
To see how you might use this phrase in practice, consider the example sentences below:
It looks like the issue isn’t fixed, but your efforts are appreciated, nonetheless.
Your efforts are appreciated, but it might be time to simply call maintenance in to have a look at this.
Thanks for Giving It a Go (Informal)
When someone has tried their best but failed to help you in your personal life, a good informal way to thank them for trying is to say “thank you for giving it a go.”
We wouldn’t recommend using this idiomatic phrase in a formal setting, and it is certainly not more suitable than “thank you for trying” if you’re speaking to someone at work.
Nonetheless, you can use this phrase when speaking to people outside of work, such as friends, family, or acquaintances.
Consider the following examples:
Person 1: Sorry, I tried my best, but I just can’t get this jar open.
Person 2: Not a worry, thanks for giving it a go!
Thanks for giving it a go, but I think we should just ask your dad to help us.
Is It Correct to Say “Thank You for Trying”?
It is perfectly grammatically correct to say “thank you for trying.”
This phrase is neither idiomatic nor especially formal and stuffy, so it won’t startle anyone if you use it inside or outside of the workplace.
“Thank you for trying” is also polite if you say it in a sincere tone of voice. If you sound huffy and impatient while saying it, it might come across as rude.
In other words, the original phrase is perfectly effective, but you can still use one of our synonyms to change up your language. Sometimes, an alternative suits a particular context better, after all!
If you prefer the original phrase, here are a few ways you can vary it to suit the context you’re in:
- Thanks for trying
- Thank you for trying your best
- Thank you for trying to help
- Thank you for trying though
- Thank you for trying to accommodate
In conclusion, “thank you for trying” is grammatically correct and suitable in formal or informal settings, depending on the context.
If you find our list of alternative phrases helpful, keep it on hand by bookmarking this page!