Definition of essay
transitive verb
1 : to put to a test
2 : to make an often tentative or experimental effort to perform : try
essayer
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of essay in a Sentence
There is no hint as to which of the approaches essayed in this book will prove most useful.
he had been in gymnastics for some time before he even considered essaying that move
Recent Examples of essay from the Web
-
Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for Sponsor and its agencies to use Winner’s name and/or likeness, biographical information, [and/or essay, photograph, etc.
-
There is a moment in Fahrenheit 451 when Clarisse, the affable teenager who lives next door to the firefighter Montag, pauses to essay about how fast society moves and what has been lost in the process.
-
Macmillan doesn’t make W the easiest person to live with, and Brooke essays a lovably irritating presence.
-
Azais, who scored a Cesar award for his performance in 2014’s Love at First Fight (Les Combattants), here essays a coming-of-age transformation that essentially attempts to reunite Vincent with his mother.
-
This is not Markle’s first essay about her humanitarian work.
-
Arthur Nikisch essayed one with the Leipzig Gewandhaus in 1919.
-
Both Lively and Bilson opted for youthful, dressy shorts, while Chung essayed the season's maxi hemline.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'essay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of essay
14th century
Synonym Discussion of essay
Definition of essay
2a : effort, attempt; especially : an initial tentative effortb : the result or product of an attempt
3a : an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of viewb : something resembling such a composition a photographic essay
4 : a proof of an unaccepted design for a stamp or piece of paper money
Examples of essay in a Sentence
Your assignment is to write a 500-word essay on one of Shakespeare's sonnets.
The book is a collection of his previously unpublished essays on a variety of topics.
Recent Examples of essay from the Web
-
My Heart Is an Idiot,’ a collection of personal essays.
-
The singer revealed the inspiration behind the song in a new essay from Rolling Stone.
-
And those Horrors of Motherhood essays aren’t a new thing, trust me.
-
Photographer Steve Schapiro came upon one of Baldwin's essays in 1962 through a New Yorker article.
-
Dihle is playful one moment and serious the next, seamlessly swinging from topic to topic until each essay reads like another door opening, another chance to step inside the unknown.
-
The song is a more nuanced treatment than any ten essays about date rape of the way women can feel torn between the desire to be driven by their sexuality and the horror that the desire might ultimately degrade or even destroy them.
-
That morning, moved by the book’s reflections on family, Darryl, serving his 43rd year in prison, wrote an essay.
-
This year’s competition debuted a new essay category for students who have been, or are currently, homeless.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'essay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of essay
Middle French essai, ultimately from Late Latin exagium act of weighing, from Latin ex- + agere to drive — more at agent
ESSAY Defined for English Language Learners
essay
playDefinition of essay for English Language Learners
-
: to try to do, perform, or deal with (something)
essay
playDefinition of essay for English Language Learners
-
: a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject
ESSAY Defined for Kids
essay
playDefinition of essay for Students
: a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject
Learn More about essay
-
See words that rhyme with essay Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for essay Spanish Central: Translation of essay Nglish: Translation of essay for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of essay for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about essay
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up essay? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!