This is the 1030th most frequent Portuguese word.
tentou
"Tentou" means "tried" in English.
The word 'tentou' is used to indicate an attempt or effort made by the subject, 'ele', to perform the action of climbing.
Ele tentou escalar a montanha.
He tried to climb the mountain.
In this sentence, 'tentou' conveys that Maria made an effort to locate her lost book.
Maria tentou encontrar o livro perdido.
Maria tried to find the lost book.
The verb 'tentaram' is the plural form of 'tentou', and here it highlights the collective effort of 'eles' in tackling the issue.