ESSAY Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'essay' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of essay are attempt , endeavor , strive , and try . While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting. // will essay a dramatic role for the first time

Q: When might 'attempt' be a better fit than 'essay'?

While the synonyms attempt and essay are close in meaning, attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort. // will attempt to photograph the rare bird

Q: Where would 'endeavor' be a reasonable alternative to 'essay'?

Although the words endeavor and essay have much in common, endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty. // endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

Q: When is 'strive' a more appropriate choice than 'essay'?

While in some cases nearly identical to essay , strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort. // continues to strive for peace

Q: How do 'try' and 'attempt' relate to one another, in the sense of 'essay'?

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

essay 1 of 2

noun

ˈe-ˌsā

Definition of essay next

as in article

a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view school essays on what it means to be a patriot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in attempt

an effort to do or accomplish something my first essay at baking a cake did not go well

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in test

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

essay

2 of 2

verb

e-ˈsā

as in to attempt

to make an effort to do he had been in gymnastics for some time before he even considered essaying that move

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb essay differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of essay are attempt, endeavor, strive, and try. While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

When might attempt be a better fit than essay?

While the synonyms attempt and essay are close in meaning, attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

Where would endeavor be a reasonable alternative to essay?

Although the words endeavor and essay have much in common, endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

When is strive a more appropriate choice than essay?

While in some cases nearly identical to essay, strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

continues to strive for peace

How do try and attempt relate to one another, in the sense of essay?

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

Examples 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 essay

Noun

The data is typically found by extensively scanning the Internet for lots and lots of essays, blogs, poems, narratives, and the like. —

Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 Most of the essays, chiefly written by tech executives and academics, advance the theory that the automation of politics through artificial intelligence could save American democracy. —

Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Verb

Do essay writing websites use ChatGPT or similar AI writing tools? —

Ascend Agency, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2024 The series is driven by a powerhouse ensemble cast with Mohit Raina essaying the role of the freelancer, Anupam Kher as the analyst Dr. Khan, Kashmira Pardeshi as Aliya and other actors portraying unique characters. —

Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for essay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for essay

Noun

Listen to this article BOULDER — Shedeur Sanders tripped over Travis Hunter’s Heisman.

Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews.

Martin J. Kernan, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2024