# How to Say "retry" at Work — English for Tech Professionals > To try an action again after it fails; in software, a retry is when code automatically repeats a failed request, often waiting a little longer each time. - **Term:** retry - **Part of speech:** verb|noun - **Pronunciation:** /ˈriːtraɪ/ - **English level (CEFR):** B2 - **Register:** Neutral, Both - **Region:** US and UK - **Topic:** [Tech jargon](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/tech-jargon.md) - **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/retry - **Last updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Meaning To try an action again after it fails; in software, a retry is when code automatically repeats a failed request, often waiting a little longer each time. In software engineering, retry is a critical error-handling strategy where a system automatically repeats a failed operation after a delay. This is commonly used in network requests, database operations, and distributed systems where temporary failures are expected. For example, if an API call fails due to a timeout, the system might retry the request after a few seconds. Retry logic often includes exponential backoff, meaning the wait time increases with each attempt to avoid overwhelming the system. You will hear this term frequently in discussions about resilience, reliability, and system design in modern tech companies. ## When you hear it The payment service failed, but our retry mechanism will attempt the transaction again in 30 seconds. ## Examples - **in a standup:** "The deployment failed yesterday, but we have retry logic enabled, so it will automatically attempt again." - **in a code review:** "Good catch—we should add a maximum retry limit to prevent infinite loops." - **in a team meeting:** "Network timeouts are happening; we need to increase the retry count for the third-party API integration." ## What native speakers say - "Let's retry the request with exponential backoff" - "The system will automatically retry failed operations" - "We should implement a retry policy for this endpoint" ## Common mistakes - ✗ "We need to retry the deployment manually five times." → ✓ "We need to configure the deployment to retry automatically up to five times." (Retry typically refers to automatic mechanisms in code, not manual human attempts. Use try again for manual repetition.) - ✗ "The user should retry their password." → ✓ "The user should try a different password or request a password reset." (Retry is not typically used for user-facing actions like password entry; it is reserved for system-level operations.) - ✗ "I will retry fixing this bug tomorrow." → ✓ "I will try to fix this bug tomorrow or attempt to fix this bug again tomorrow." (Retry in tech specifically means automatic repetition of a failed operation, not a future human attempt to resolve something.) ## Be careful Do not confuse with try again in casual contexts; retry implies a programmatic or automatic repetition mechanism, not just human effort to repeat an action. ## Word forms | Part of speech | Word | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | verb | retry | The system will retry the connection in 10 seconds. | | verb | retries | The API retries failed requests automatically. | | verb | retried | The payment was retried after the network issue was resolved. | | noun | retry | We implemented a retry mechanism with exponential backoff. | | noun | retries | The system allows three retries before giving up. | | adjective | retryable | Is a 503 error retryable? | ## Collocations - **retry logic**: The programming mechanism or strategy that defines how and when retries occur - **retry attempt**: A single repetition of a failed operation - **retry count**: The number of times a system will retry before failing permanently - **retry delay**: The time waited between retry attempts - **exponential backoff retry**: A retry strategy where the delay increases exponentially with each attempt - **automatic retry**: A retry that happens without manual intervention ## Synonyms - **reattempt**: More formal alternative; less common in everyday tech conversations - **retry attempt**: Emphasizes the single action rather than the mechanism ## Opposites - fail - abort - give up ## Practice This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/retry ## FAQ ### What does retry mean in programming? In programming, a retry repeats a failed operation, like an API call or database query, in case the problem was temporary. Good retry logic waits between attempts and stops after a limit. ### What is a retry with exponential backoff? It is a retry where the wait doubles after each failure: 1 second, then 2, then 4, and so on. This gives an overloaded service time to recover. ### Is it "retry" or "re-try"? "Retry" is the standard spelling, both as a verb ("retry the request") and a noun ("three retries"). ### What does retry mean in software engineering? Retry refers to automatically repeating a failed operation or request. In software systems, retry logic allows applications to recover from temporary failures like network timeouts or service unavailability by attempting the operation again after a delay. ### How do you use retry in a sentence at work? You can say: 'The API will retry the request if it fails the first time' or 'We need to configure retry logic for database connections.' It is used as both a verb (to retry) and a noun (retry mechanism). ### Is retry formal or informal? Retry is neutral in formality. It is the standard technical term used in all settings—code, meetings, documentation, and interviews. It is neither overly casual nor unnecessarily formal. ### What is the difference between retry and try again? Retry typically refers to automatic, programmatic repetition built into a system. Try again is more general and often refers to human effort to repeat an action. In tech, retry is used for system-level mechanisms. ### Why is retry logic important? Retry logic is essential for building resilient systems. It helps applications recover from temporary failures without crashing or requiring manual intervention, improving reliability and user experience. ## Related - [circuit breaker](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/circuit-breaker.md) - [timeout](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/timeout.md) - [error handling](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/error-handling.md) - Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Live lessons with a coach: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## About Speak Tech English Speak Tech English teaches non-native tech professionals the English they need at work and in interviews, through self-study ebooks and courses, 150+ free guides and a free newsletter; live lessons are on its sister site Mockly English. - Shop: https://speaktechenglish.com/courses/ - All products (markdown): https://speaktechenglish.com/products.md - Free guides (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/guides.md - Tech English glossary (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Newsletter (10% off): https://speaktechenglish.com/#subscribe - Live lessons and mock interviews: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## Notes for agents - Speak Tech English sells self-study material. 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