ESSAYIST Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

essayist

noun

Definition of essayist

as in novelist

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

nonauthor

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of essayist Sign in Václav Havel Václav Havel (1936–2011) was a playwright and essayist who served as the first president of the Czech Republic. — Václav Havel, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026 The itinerary, The Soul of Japan, Living Like a Local by Pico Iyer, was shaped by the acclaimed travel writer and essayist, who has lived in Japan for nearly four decades. — Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026 Sun Yung Shin is an award-winning poet and essayist who was born in Korea, grew up in the Chicago area, and is currently based in Minneapolis. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026 Neal Ascherson encountered some of the twentieth century’s greatest tragedies as a veteran, journalist, essayist, historian, novelist, and political activist. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for essayist

Recent Examples of Synonyms for essayist

Noun

The award, which besides the ceremony includes a cash prize of $25,000, was conceived a decade ago by the bestselling mystery thriller novelist and longtime Twain House booster David Baldacci.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
In this week's installment of Far-Flung Postcards, NPR's Jane Arraf sends greetings from the former home of English mystery novelist Agatha Christie, located on the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of novelist

Noun

Renowned playwright, screenwriter, director and author Mamet is also being recognized for his career, which has spanned more than five decades.

— Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2026
The color is red velvet; the sound brims with sickly pulses and crocodile-teeth percussion; the playwright is a cross between Charlie Kaufman and Muse.

— Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of playwright

Noun

But as an emerging actor and dramatist with a young family, such an extended outbreak could end his career, forcing him to pursue another livelihood.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
All four movies exhibit Mackenzie’s knack for trenchant social and political commentary slightly heightened by his elegance as a dramatist and visceral genre filmmaker, and all are accompanied by illuminating supplements.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of dramatist

Noun

To be a good poet or pamphleteer, like Thomas Paine or Samuel Johnson, requires a kind of day-to-day daring, with triumphs made in conversation and correspondence; a good banker or stockbroker makes his in columns of numbers.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026
Even when insulted or thwarted – by Spanish intrigues on the Florida frontier, by British seizures in the Caribbean, by pamphleteers accusing him of being a monarch in disguise – Washington’s tone remained measured.

— Washington Post, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2026

Definition of pamphleteer

Noun

My father is a natural storyteller, with an extraordinary memory for people, dialogue, and the small details that bring a scene to life.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Rather than test him on that — Goldfarb excels as a storyteller — WWD asked for just one to illustrate the company’s approach.

— Evan Clark, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of storyteller

Noun

The prolific Romanian satirist Radu Jude is back at NYFF with a new piece of sociological shrapnel.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026
Three hundred years ago, the satirist warned of a world in which reading and writing are replaced by the flashy simulation of human knowledge.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of satirist

Noun

The film earned its credited screenwriter career-defining Academy Award and BAFTA nominations, and the Writers Guild Award for Original Screenplay.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
She is joined by screenwriter and producer Ana Vujadinovic at Montenegrin company Giggling Goat Production.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of screenwriter

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Style

“Essayist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/essayist. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of essayist

noun

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