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

This is an excellent collection of scholarly critical essays about the poem—a great sample of some of the exciting literary critical work that has been and is still being done on Homer. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 31 July 2026

Cusack is making his graphic novel debut with Momo, but the actor previously co-wrote a 2016 collection of essays titled Things that Can and Cannot Be Said. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026

Edited by Tim Latterner, the quarterly print publication features fiction, cartoons, jokes, and essays by various writers, artists, and illustrators whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, Mad magazine, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. — Maggie Turner, Air Mail, 25 July 2026

Singleton has published ten collections of stories, two novels, a book of writing advice, and a collection of essays. — Literary Hub, 24 July 2026

In reality, admissions officers routinely remember essays that are joyful, funny, intellectually playful, or quietly reflective. — Dr. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Benjamin Franklin wrote essays in the 1780s objecting to the use of privateers, despite his backing of privateering during the War of Independence a few years before. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026

The essays in the book, which focus on beekeeping and other forms of animal husbandry, invite us to explore creaturely worlds beyond our own, and to recognize our kinship with other living beings. — Richard Schiffman, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026

Odette Estate is named in homage to characters from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and essays by Proust because the moniker represents grace and triumph. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 17 July 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