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

Sam, an aspiring writer, supplements her Substack essays with standardized test tutoring that still may not be enough to cover London rent. — Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026

Poetry like Rukeyser’s and others by Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Hayden or the essays by James Baldwin that Alexander parses in the book, provide sustenance for the journey. — Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. — Via Haymarket Books, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026

One of the three essays in her book happens to be a biography of Schwob, and Schwob, in turn, was inspired by Poe’s work. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026

Making unexpected connections and always drawing out the human drama within complicated ideas, Endgame takes the best of New York Review essays and turns them into a conversation. — Christopher R. Browning, The New York Review of Books, 3 Nov. 2026

The essays in her previous book, ‘People Love Dead Jews,’ still resonate with me. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Through a series of essays, the shlicha (Israeli emissary) chronicles the challenges and rewards of raising eight children in the modern world while living a life deeply anchored in ultra-Orthodox Judaism. — Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Writing, the Other Life, a volume of her letters, interviews, previously unpublished diaries, and essays about her literary and political contributions, is now available in English. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 27 Oct. 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