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Definition of essay
(Entry 1 of 2)
Definition of essay (Entry 2 of 2)
transitive verb
- composition
attempt , try , endeavor , essay , strive mean to make an effort to accomplish an end.
attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.
try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.
endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.
essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.
strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.
Examples of essay in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'essay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle French essai , ultimately from Late Latin exagium act of weighing, from Latin ex- + agere to drive — more at agent
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Phrases Containing essay
- essay question
- photo - essay
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To 'Essay' or 'Assay'?
You'll know the difference if you give it the old college essay
Dictionary Entries Near essay
Cite this entry.
“Essay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essay. Accessed 18 Sep. 2024.
Kids Definition
Kids definition of essay.
Kids Definition of essay (Entry 2 of 2)
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es•say
Imperative |
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essay |
essay |
Present |
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I essay |
you essay |
he/she/it essays |
we essay |
you essay |
they essay |
Preterite |
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I essayed |
you essayed |
he/she/it essayed |
we essayed |
you essayed |
they essayed |
Present Continuous |
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I am essaying |
you are essaying |
he/she/it is essaying |
we are essaying |
you are essaying |
they are essaying |
Present Perfect |
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I have essayed |
you have essayed |
he/she/it has essayed |
we have essayed |
you have essayed |
they have essayed |
Past Continuous |
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I was essaying |
you were essaying |
he/she/it was essaying |
we were essaying |
you were essaying |
they were essaying |
Past Perfect |
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I had essayed |
you had essayed |
he/she/it had essayed |
we had essayed |
you had essayed |
they had essayed |
Future |
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I will essay |
you will essay |
he/she/it will essay |
we will essay |
you will essay |
they will essay |
Future Perfect |
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I will have essayed |
you will have essayed |
he/she/it will have essayed |
we will have essayed |
you will have essayed |
they will have essayed |
Future Continuous |
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I will be essaying |
you will be essaying |
he/she/it will be essaying |
we will be essaying |
you will be essaying |
they will be essaying |
Present Perfect Continuous |
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I have been essaying |
you have been essaying |
he/she/it has been essaying |
we have been essaying |
you have been essaying |
they have been essaying |
Future Perfect Continuous |
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I will have been essaying |
you will have been essaying |
he/she/it will have been essaying |
we will have been essaying |
you will have been essaying |
they will have been essaying |
Past Perfect Continuous |
---|
I had been essaying |
you had been essaying |
he/she/it had been essaying |
we had been essaying |
you had been essaying |
they had been essaying |
Conditional |
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I would essay |
you would essay |
he/she/it would essay |
we would essay |
you would essay |
they would essay |
Past Conditional |
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I would have essayed |
you would have essayed |
he/she/it would have essayed |
we would have essayed |
you would have essayed |
they would have essayed |
- an analytic or interpretive literary composition , , - the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect); "the writing in her novels is excellent"; "that editorial was a fine piece of writing" , , , - an essay (especially one written as an assignment); "he got an A on his composition" - an elaborate analytical or explanatory essay or discussion - an essay on a scientific or scholarly topic - an essay expressing a view on the subject of death | ||
- a tentative attempt , , , , - earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" | ||
- make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world" , , , , - be dared to do something and attempt it , - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" , - make a strenuous or labored effort; "She struggled for years to survive without welfare"; "He fought for breath" , - make an attempt at something; "I never sat on a horse before but I'll give it a go" - search blindly or uncertainly; "His mind groped to make the connection" , , - attempt by employing effort; "we endeavor to make our customers happy" , - try; "let's give it a whirl!" , , , , , , , - take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome; "When you buy these stocks you are gambling" , , - expose to a chance of loss or damage; "We risked losing a lot of money in this venture"; "Why risk your life?"; "She laid her job on the line when she told the boss that he was wrong" | ||
- put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to; "This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe" , , , , , , - form a critical opinion of; "I cannot judge some works of modern art"; "How do you evaluate this grant proposal?" "We shouldn't pass judgment on other people" , - check or regulate (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment or comparing with another standard; "Are you controlling for the temperature?" - circulate or discuss tentatively; test the waters with; "The Republicans are floating the idea of a tax reform" - test something under the conditions under which it will actually be used; "The Army field tested the new tanks" |
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[ noun es -ey es -ey , e- sey verb e- sey ]
- a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.
a picture essay.
- an effort to perform or accomplish something; attempt.
- Philately. a design for a proposed stamp differing in any way from the design of the stamp as issued.
- Obsolete. a tentative effort; trial; assay.
verb (used with object)
- to try; attempt.
- to put to the test; make trial of.
- a short literary composition dealing with a subject analytically or speculatively
- an attempt or endeavour; effort
- a test or trial
- to attempt or endeavour; try
- to test or try out
- A short piece of writing on one subject, usually presenting the author's own views. Michel de Montaigne , Francis Bacon (see also Bacon ), and Ralph Waldo Emerson are celebrated for their essays.
Other Words From
- es·sayer noun
- prees·say verb (used without object)
- unes·sayed adjective
- well-es·sayed adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of essay 1
Example Sentences
As several of my colleagues commented, the result is good enough that it could pass for an essay written by a first-year undergraduate, and even get a pretty decent grade.
GPT-3 also raises concerns about the future of essay writing in the education system.
This little essay helps focus on self-knowledge in what you’re best at, and how you should prioritize your time.
As Steven Feldstein argues in the opening essay, technonationalism plays a part in the strengthening of other autocracies too.
He’s written a collection of essays on civil engineering life titled Bridginess, and to this day he and Lauren go on “bridge dates,” where they enjoy a meal and admire the view of a nearby span.
I think a certain kind of compelling essay has a piece of that.
The current attack on the Jews,” he wrote in a 1937 essay, “targets not just this people of 15 million but mankind as such.
The impulse to interpret seems to me what makes personal essay writing compelling.
To be honest, I think a lot of good essay writing comes out of that.
Someone recently sent me an old Joan Didion essay on self-respect that appeared in Vogue.
There is more of the uplifted forefinger and the reiterated point than I should have allowed myself in an essay.
Consequently he was able to turn in a clear essay upon the subject, which, upon examination, the king found to be free from error.
It is no part of the present essay to attempt to detail the particulars of a code of social legislation.
But angels and ministers of grace defend us from ministers of religion who essay art criticism!
It is fit that the imagination, which is free to go through all things, should essay such excursions.
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essaying noun
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What does the noun essaying mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun essaying . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun essaying ?
1860 | 0.0031 |
1870 | 0.0033 |
1880 | 0.0034 |
1890 | 0.0032 |
1900 | 0.0035 |
1910 | 0.0032 |
1920 | 0.003 |
1930 | 0.0027 |
1940 | 0.0023 |
1950 | 0.0021 |
1960 | 0.0021 |
1970 | 0.0019 |
1980 | 0.002 |
1990 | 0.002 |
2000 | 0.0021 |
2010 | 0.0023 |
How is the noun essaying pronounced?
British english, where does the noun essaying come from.
Earliest known use
The earliest known use of the noun essaying is in the 1860s.
OED's earliest evidence for essaying is from 1861.
essaying is formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: essay v. , ‑ing suffix 1 .
Nearby entries
- essart, v. 1675–
- essarting, n. a1821–
- essay, n. 1597–
- essay, v. 1483–
- essayal, n. 1837–
- essayer, n. 1611–
- essayette, n. 1877–
- essayfy, v. 1815–
- essay-hatch, n. 1721–
- essayical, adj. 1860–
- essaying, n. 1861–
- essaying, adj. 1641–
- essayish, adj. 1863–
- essayism, n. 1821–
- essayist, n. 1616–
- essayistic, adj. 1862–
- essayistical, adj. 1863–
- essaykin, n. 1860–
- essaylet, n. 1872–
- essay-scale, n. 1684–
- Ess Bouquet, n. 1855–
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Meaning & use
Pronunciation, entry history for essaying, n..
essaying, n. was first published in 1891; not yet revised.
essaying, n. was last modified in June 2024.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into essaying, n. in June 2024.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1891)
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OED Second Edition (1989)
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Citation details
Factsheet for essaying, n., browse entry.
Look up a word, learn it forever.
Other forms: essays; essayed; essaying
A composition that is usually short and has a literary theme is called an essay . You should probably start writing your essay on "To Kill a Mockingbird" sometime before the bus ride to school the day it is due.
As a noun, an essay is also an attempt, especially a tentative initial one. Your essay to make friends at your new school would probably work better if you actually spoke to other students. As a verb, to essay is to make an attempt. If you essay to run for student council, you might lose to the girl who promises more recess, longer lunches, and less homework.
- noun an analytic or interpretive literary composition see more see less types: show 5 types... hide 5 types... composition , paper , report , theme an essay (especially one written as an assignment) disquisition an elaborate analytical or explanatory essay or discussion memoir an essay on a scientific or scholarly topic thanatopsis an essay expressing a view on the subject of death term paper a composition intended to indicate a student's progress during a school term type of: piece of writing , writing , written material the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect)
- verb make an effort or attempt “The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps” synonyms: assay , attempt , seek , try see more see less types: show 17 types... hide 17 types... pick up the gauntlet , take a dare be dared to do something and attempt it fight , struggle make a strenuous or labored effort give it a try , have a go make an attempt at something grope search blindly or uncertainly endeavor , endeavour , strive attempt by employing effort give it a try , give it a whirl try adventure , chance , gamble , hazard , risk , run a risk , take a chance , take chances take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome lay on the line , put on the line , risk expose to a chance of loss or damage strive , struggle exert strenuous effort against opposition drive , labor , labour , push , tug strive and make an effort to reach a goal flounder behave awkwardly; have difficulties be at pains , take pains try very hard to do something buck to strive with determination go for broke risk everything in one big effort luck it , luck through act by relying on one's luck adventure , hazard , jeopardize , stake , venture put at risk bell the cat take a risk; perform a daring act type of: act , move perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
- noun a tentative attempt see more see less type of: attempt , effort , endeavor , endeavour , try earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
- verb put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to synonyms: examine , prove , test , try , try out see more see less types: control , verify check or regulate (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment or comparing with another standard float circulate or discuss tentatively; test the waters with field-test test something under the conditions under which it will actually be used type of: evaluate , judge , pass judgment form a critical opinion of
Vocabulary lists containing essay
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essay , an analytic , interpretative, or critical literary composition usually much shorter and less systematic and formal than a dissertation or thesis and usually dealing with its subject from a limited and often personal point of view.
Some early treatises—such as those of Cicero on the pleasantness of old age or on the art of “divination,” Seneca on anger or clemency , and Plutarch on the passing of oracles—presage to a certain degree the form and tone of the essay, but not until the late 16th century was the flexible and deliberately nonchalant and versatile form of the essay perfected by the French writer Michel de Montaigne . Choosing the name essai to emphasize that his compositions were attempts or endeavours, a groping toward the expression of his personal thoughts and experiences, Montaigne used the essay as a means of self-discovery. His Essais , published in their final form in 1588, are still considered among the finest of their kind. Later writers who most nearly recall the charm of Montaigne include, in England, Robert Burton , though his whimsicality is more erudite , Sir Thomas Browne , and Laurence Sterne , and in France, with more self-consciousness and pose, André Gide and Jean Cocteau .
At the beginning of the 17th century, social manners, the cultivation of politeness, and the training of an accomplished gentleman became the theme of many essayists. This theme was first exploited by the Italian Baldassare Castiglione in his Il libro del cortegiano (1528; The Book of the Courtier ). The influence of the essay and of genres allied to it, such as maxims, portraits, and sketches, proved second to none in molding the behavior of the cultured classes, first in Italy, then in France, and, through French influence, in most of Europe in the 17th century. Among those who pursued this theme was the 17th-century Spanish Jesuit Baltasar Gracián in his essays on the art of worldly wisdom.
Keener political awareness in the 18th century, the age of Enlightenment , made the essay an all-important vehicle for the criticism of society and religion. Because of its flexibility, its brevity , and its potential both for ambiguity and for allusions to current events and conditions, it was an ideal tool for philosophical reformers. The Federalist Papers in America and the tracts of the French Revolutionaries are among the countless examples of attempts during this period to improve the human condition through the essay.
The genre also became the favoured tool of traditionalists of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Edmund Burke and Samuel Taylor Coleridge , who looked to the short, provocative essay as the most potent means of educating the masses. Essays such as Paul Elmer More’s long series of Shelburne Essays (published between 1904 and 1935), T.S. Eliot ’s After Strange Gods (1934) and Notes Towards the Definition of Culture (1948), and others that attempted to reinterpret and redefine culture , established the genre as the most fitting to express the genteel tradition at odds with the democracy of the new world.
Whereas in several countries the essay became the chosen vehicle of literary and social criticism, in other countries the genre became semipolitical, earnestly nationalistic, and often polemical, playful, or bitter. Essayists such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Willa Cather wrote with grace on several lighter subjects, and many writers—including Virginia Woolf , Edmund Wilson , and Charles du Bos —mastered the essay as a form of literary criticism .
- present participle and gerund of essay
essaying ( plural essayings )
- a. 1858 , Charles Boner , Mother and Child : The dialogue most sweet Is a glad mother's converse with her child, When first he makes his essayings at speech.
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Definition of essay verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
present simple I / you / we / they essay | /eˈseɪ/ /eˈseɪ/ |
he / she / it essays | /eˈseɪz/ /eˈseɪz/ |
past simple essayed | /eˈseɪd/ /eˈseɪd/ |
past participle essayed | /eˈseɪd/ /eˈseɪd/ |
-ing form essaying | /eˈseɪɪŋ/ /eˈseɪɪŋ/ |
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Meaning of essayed in English
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- go after someone
- go all out idiom
- go down swinging/fighting idiom
- go for it idiom
- go for someone
- shoot the works idiom
- smarten (someone/something) up
- smarten up your act idiom
- square the circle idiom
- step on the gas idiom
Examples of essayed
In English, many past and present participles of verbs can be used as adjectives. Some of these examples may show the adjective use.
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detective work
the activity of searching for information about something, often over a long period
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ESSAYING definition: 1. present participle of essay 2. to try to do something: . Learn more.
The meaning of ESSAY is an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view. How to use essay in a sentence. ... essayed; essaying; essays. transitive verb. 1: to make an often tentative or experimental effort to perform : try. 2: to put to a test. essayer noun. Synonyms ...
ESSAYING meaning: 1. present participle of essay 2. to try to do something: . Learn more.
ESSAY definition: 1. a short piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one done by students as part of the…. Learn more.
noun. 1. a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. 2. anything resembling such a composition. a picture essay. 3. an effort to perform or accomplish something; attempt. 4.
Define essaying. essaying synonyms, essaying pronunciation, essaying translation, English dictionary definition of essaying. try; subject to a test; a short literary composition: She wrote an essay for her final exam.
Essay definition: a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.. See examples of ESSAY used in a sentence.
essay meaning, definition, what is essay: a short piece of writing about a particu...: Learn more. ... by a student as part of a course of study essay on/about an essay on Bernard Shaw 2 AL a short piece of writing giving someone's ideas about politics, ... am essaying: he, she, it: is essaying > View More you, we, they: are essaying: Past: I ...
a short piece of writing by a student as part of a course of study. I have to write an essay this weekend.; essay on something an essay on the causes of the First World War; essay about somebody/something Have you done your essay about Napoleon yet?; in an essay He made some very good points in his essay.
What does the noun essaying mean? There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun essaying. See 'Meaning & use' for definition, usage, and quotation evidence. Entry status. OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions.
A composition that is usually short and has a literary theme is called an essay. You should probably start writing your essay on "To Kill a Mockingbird" sometime before the bus ride to school the day it is due.
ESSAY meaning: 1. a short piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one done by students as part of the…. Learn more.
1 essay / ˈ ɛˌseɪ/ noun. plural essays. Britannica Dictionary definition of ESSAY. [count] : a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject. Your assignment is to write a 500-word essay on one of Shakespeare's sonnets. The book is a collection of his previously unpublished essays on/about a variety of ...
Essay definition: A testing or trial of the value or nature of a thing. Dictionary Thesaurus Sentences Grammar ... essayed, essaying, essays To try; attempt. Webster's New World. Similar definitions. To test the nature or quality of; try out. Webster's New World. Similar definitions
essay, an analytic, interpretative, or critical literary composition usually much shorter and less systematic and formal than a dissertation or thesis and usually dealing with its subject from a limited and often personal point of view. Some early treatises—such as those of Cicero on the pleasantness of old age or on the art of "divination ...
Essaying definition: Present participle of essay . Meanwhile, in the Farther East so rapid has been the progress of geographical research since the first beginnings of investigation into the route connexion between Burma and China in 1874 (when the brave Augustus Margary lost his life), that a gradually increasing tide of exploration, setting from east to west and back again, has culminated in ...
essaying (plural essayings) An attempt; a try. Categories: English non-lemma forms. English verb forms. English lemmas. English nouns. English countable nouns. English terms with quotations.
essay in American English. (noun for 1, 2 ˈesei, for 3-5 ˈesei, eˈsei, verb eˈsei) noun. 1. a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. 2. anything resembling such a composition. a picture essay.
Definition of essay verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Toggle navigation
ESSAYED meaning: 1. past simple and past participle of essay 2. to try to do something: . Learn more.
ESSAY definition: a short piece of writing about a particular subject, especially one written by a student: . Learn more.
ESSAYED definition: 1. past simple and past participle of essay 2. to try to do something: . Learn more.