freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities; "his assurance in his superiority did not make him popular"; "after that failure he lost his confidence"; "she spoke with authority"
a statement intended to inspire confidence; "the President's assurances were not respected"
a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something; "an assurance of help when needed"; "signed a pledge never to reveal the secret"
melt (fat or lard) in order to separate out impurities; "try the yak butter"; "render fat in a casserole"
test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!"
give pain or trouble to; "I've been sorely tried by these students"
make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"
exist over a prolonged period of time; "The bad weather continued for two more weeks"
continue talking; "I know it's hard," he continued, "but there is no choice"; "carry on--pretend we are not in the room"
keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last; "preserve the peace in the family"; "continue the family tradition"; "Carry on the old traditions"
continue a certain state, condition, or activity; "Keep on working!"; "We continued to work into the night"; "Keep smiling"; "We went on working until well past midnight"
continue after an interruption; "The demonstration continued after a break for lunch"
do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop; "We continued our research into the cause of the illness"; "The landlord persists in asking us to move"
engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or occupy urgently or obsessively; "His work preoccupies him"; "The matter preoccupies her completely--she cannot think of anything else"
occupy or take possession of beforehand or before another or appropriate for use in advance; "the army preoccupied the hills"