Synonyms of essays

essays 1 of 2

noun

plural of essay

1

as in articles

a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view

school essays on what it means to be a patriot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• articles
• papers
• themes
• dissertations
• editorials
• treatises
• commentaries
• compositions
• columns
• reports
• features
• studies
• theses
• write-ups
• reviews
• discourses
• discussions
• tracts
• causeries
• prolegomena
• expositions

2

as in attempts

an effort to do or accomplish something

my first essay at baking a cake did not go well

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attempts
• tries
• goes
• endeavors
• stabs
• bids
• assays
• shots
• offers
• trials
• passes
• undertakings
• flings
• strivings
• cracks
• struggles
• bashes
• whacks
• whirls
• throes
• trial and errors

3

as in tests

a procedure or operation carried out to resolve an uncertainty

a little homemade essay to determine the easiest way to strip the paint from the bookcase

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tests
• experiments
• experimentations
• trials
• efforts
• tries
• exercises
• practices
• attempts
• rehearsals
• ordeals
• workouts
• tryouts
• crucibles
• trial and errors
• dry runs
• shakedowns

essays

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of essay

as in tries

to make an effort to do

he had been in gymnastics for some time before he even considered essaying that move

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attempts
• tries
• strives
• endeavors
• assays
• seeks
• has a go at
• shoots at
• works
• struggles
• hopes
• troubles
• tries one's hand (at)
• toils
• aims
• fights
• undertakes
• strains
• aspires
• takes up
• assumes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drops
• gives up
• quits

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of essays

Noun

One professor may decide that students should write their essays in a blue book in class, while another may ask them to use an AI tool and audit every step of this work. — Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Reading Ascherson’s finest essays today, so many of them on the big European personalities—de Gaulle, Brandt, Thatcher—is still invigorating, even for those of us too young to remember the fall of the Berlin Wall. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026

Friends and acquaintances were very familiar with my devotion to his fiction, essays and poetry. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Watson went on to create Our Shared Shelf in 2016, a feminist book club that focused on discussing books and essays about gender equality. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026

Dolly Parton's mass appeal, which transcends cultural, political and generational lines, is so intriguing that piles of books, essays, podcasts, TV shows and other media aim to get to the bottom of it. — Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026

This is part of a series of essays drawn from the Georgetown Global Dialogues, an ongoing program convening writers and intellectuals, many from the Global South, to discuss ways of confronting our current political crises. — Pankaj Mishra, The New York Review of Books, 27 Aug. 2026

Dennis said the application process included essays, recommendations and a video detailing her experiences and leadership journey. — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

This collection of personal essays was developed in collaboration with the Global Health Reporting Center, with support from the Pulitzer Center. — Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

Verb

In the film, Bajpayee plays the police officer while Jim Sarbh essays the role of the killer who goes by the fictional name Carl Bhojraj. — Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025