essay

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

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

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

Titanic, however, is no soulless junket into techno-glop wizardry but rather a complex and radiant tale that essays both mankind's destructive arrogance and its noble endurance.

— thr staff, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Titanic': THR's 1997 Review," 19 Dec. 2017
That combination is perfectly suited to his Christmas Tree-O project, which sanguinely essays holiday themes—both classic and schmaltzy—with gusto and ardor.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "Drummer Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O deftly walks the line between sincerity and kitsch with its stroll through holiday hits," 8 Dec. 2017
Daria channeled her struggle into a college admissions essay that talks about losing herself in literature to cope with moving from hotel room to hotel room after Sandy.

— megan friedman, Seventeen, "This Incredible Girl Bounced Back From a Hurricane to Get Into 7 Ivy League Schools," 20 Apr. 2015
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
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
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
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

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

essay Synonyms

Synonyms

assay, attempt, endeavor, seek, strive, try;

Near Antonyms

drop, give up, quit;

aim, aspire, hope;

assume, take up, undertake;

Phrases

have a go at, shoot at (or shoot for), try one's hand (at);

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

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.