essay

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verb es·say \ e-ˈsā , ə-ˈsā , ˈe-ˌsā \

Definition of essay

transitive verb

1 :to put to a test

2 :to make an often tentative or experimental effort to perform :try

—

essayer

noun

See essay defined for English-language learners

See essay defined for kids

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.

— ew staff, EW.com, "The Walking Dead," 29 June 2017
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.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Is Social Media on the Table in 2020?," 12 June 2017
Macmillan doesn’t make W the easiest person to live with, and Brooke essays a lovably irritating presence.

— marcus crowder, sacbee.com, "Theater review: Breathe in the post-modern air of ‘Lungs’," 24 May 2017
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.

— justin lowe, The Hollywood Reporter, "‘A Taste of Ink’ (‘Compte tes blessures’): Film Review | COLCOA 2017," 16 May 2017
This is not Markle’s first essay about her humanitarian work.

— lauren le vine, Vanities, "Meghan Markle Writes Essay for International Women’s Day," 8 Mar. 2017
Arthur Nikisch essayed one with the Leipzig Gewandhaus in 1919.

— david allen, New York Times, "A Long Party of Concerts to Celebrate Anton Bruckner," 13 Jan. 2017
Both Lively and Bilson opted for youthful, dressy shorts, while Chung essayed the season's maxi hemline.

— veronique hyland, Harper's BAZAAR, "Chanel Cruise 2012: Karl's Seaside Crossing," 9 May 2011

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

essay Synonyms

Synonyms

assay, endeavor, attempt, seek, strive, try

Related Words

fight, strain, struggle, toil, trouble, work; aim, aspire, hope; assume, take up, undertake

Near Antonyms

drop, give up, quit

Synonym Discussion of essay

attempt, try, endeavor, essay, strive mean to make an effort to accomplish an end. attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

- will attempt to photograph the rare bird

try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

- tried to determine which was the better procedure

endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

- endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

- will essay a dramatic role for the first time

strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

- continues to strive for peace

essay

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noun es·say \ ˈe-ˌsā ; senses 1, 2 & 4 also e-ˈsā \

Definition of essay

1 :trial, test

2 a :effort, attempt; especially :an initial tentative effort

b :the result or product of an attempt

3 a :an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view

b :something resembling such a composition

a photographic essay

4 :a proof of an unaccepted design for a stamp or piece of paper money

See essay defined for English-language learners

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

Jessie Glenn, a book publicist in Portland, Ore., is working on a collection of essays.

— jessie glenn, New York Times, "Are You There, Dad? It’s Me, Alice," 25 Aug. 2017
But as Lauren Michele Jackson shows in her Eater essay on the erasure of black influence from artisanal-food culture, some trends are impossible to deny.

— ben huberman, Longreads, "Moonshine: The Black Tradition of Distilling ‘White Whiskey’," 25 Aug. 2017
Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest news, essays, video, and more.

— shannon martinez, Marie Claire, "A Former White Supremacist Condemns Trump: "He Is the Leader They've Been Waiting For"," 17 Aug. 2017
In this workshop, explore the lyric mode in a number of genres, including poetry, fiction, memoir, essay and song.

— idahostatesman, "Love Harry Potter? This Boise book club is for you.," 11 Aug. 2017
Back to school is just around the corner, which means essays, reports, and other formulaic projects are, too.

— Teen Vogue, "Lit Club Writing Contest: Back-To-School," 28 July 2017
But sources familiar with her decision, which comes a year after the Times restructured its books coverage, told me that last year’s election had triggered a desire to branch out and write more essays about culture and politics in Trump’s America.

— joe pompeo, vanityfair.com, "Michiko Kakutani, the Legendary Book Critic and the Most Feared Woman in Publishing, Is Stepping Down from The New York Times," 27 July 2017
My Heart Is an Idiot,’ a collection of personal essays.

— davy rothbart, GQ, "Inside the Clothing-Optional Resort of Your Swinging Dreams," 18 July 2017
The singer revealed the inspiration behind the song in a new essay from Rolling Stone.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Kesha's New Song Is Serving Major 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' Vibes," 13 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

essay Synonyms

Synonyms

article, composition, paper, theme

Related Words

causerie; column, commentary, editorial, feature, report, review, write-up; dissertation, thesis; tract, treatise; discourse, discussion, exposition, prolegomenon, study

ESSAY Defined for English Language Learners

essay

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verb

Definition of essay for English Language Learners

: to try to do, perform, or deal with (something)

essay

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noun

Definition 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

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noun es·say \ ˈe-ˌsā \

Definition of essay for Students

:a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject

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essay

Definition of essay

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Origin and Etymology of essay

essay Synonyms

Synonyms

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ESSAY Defined for English Language Learners

essay

Definition of essay for English Language Learners

essay

Definition of essay for English Language Learners

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Definition of essay for Students

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