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Definitions

essay

[es-ey, es-ey, e-sey, e-sey] / ˈɛs eɪ, ˈɛs eɪ, ɛˈseɪ, ɛˈseɪ /
NOUN
written discourse
Synonyms
STRONGEST
article discussion dissertation manuscript paper piece study thesis treatise
STRONG
composition disquisition explication exposition theme tract
Antonyms
WEAK
idleness pass
NOUN
try, attempt
Synonyms
STRONG
aim bid effort endeavor exertion experiment hassle labor shot striving struggle test toil travail trial tryout undertaking venture whack work
WEAK
dry run one's all one's level best try on
Antonyms
STRONG
entertainment fun idleness laziness pastime peace
WEAK
pass
VERB
try, attempt
Synonyms
STRONG
aim assay endeavor labor offer seek strive struggle test toil travail undertake venture work
WEAK
have a crack have a go have a shot have at it make a run at put to the test take a stab at take a whack at take on try out
Antonyms
STRONG
forget idle laze neglect relax rest
WEAK
be idle pass

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Then came his 1849 essay, later read by people like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Or maybe not so incipiently, according to maritime analyst John Konrad, in his widely read essay partly titled, “What If the U.S. Navy isn’t in a Hurry to Reopen the Strait?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

I’m not here to excuse this essay or deliver some platitude about separating art from the artist.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Her memoir, which was based in part on Burden’s popular New York Times Modern Love essay “Was I Married to a Stranger?”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

That sounds like the opposite of what Mom tells me when I’m staying up super late to get an essay just right.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.