essays

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.

"When an opportunity came along to curate a collection of essays, the first word that just fell out of my mouth was 'class'," she said.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

Webcomics have made “he’s still alive” a punchline, with similar humor embedded in long-winded McSweeney’s essays.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

New book releases include a story of new life in old age, the highly anticipated second novel from the author of “The Help” and unexpectedly tender essays from David Sedaris.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

AI detectors, for example, have a tendency to erroneously flag essays written by speakers of English as a second language, a 2023 Stanford analysis External link found.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

I think about everything I learned about writing essays in high school, which are kind of like speeches.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson