Synonyms for

Essay

Verb / eˈseɪ / / ˈeˌseɪ / Another word for essay — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

A short piece of writing on a particular subject.

Synonyms & similar words

prove attempt try examine seek test assay tryout composition article paper thesis dissertation report treatise story narrative critique analysis exposition discourse commentary memoir autobiography biography history chronicle journal

Synonyms by register

Formal

treatise disquisition monograph paper

Informal

piece write-up article

Literary

discourse meditation

Antonyms

story narrative fiction novel account report

Common collocations

  • write an essay
  • academic essay
  • short essay
  • essay question
  • essay topic
  • persuasive essay
  • compare and contrast essay

Word family

noun essay
verb essay

Usage note

An essay is typically a short piece of writing on a particular subject. The verb 'to essay' means to attempt or try, and is less common than the noun.

Example sentences

  1. I have to write an essay about my summer vacation.
  2. My teacher gave me an A on my essay.
  3. I don't like writing essays because they are hard.
  4. My essay is about my favorite animal, the lion.
  5. I wrote an essay about the history of my town.

Quotes

  • An essay is a piece of writing that is not about its subject matter but about its own subjectivity, the historical self of the writer. - Gore Vidal
  • The essay is a literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything. - Aldous Huxley
  • The essayist is a self-liberated man, sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about, everything that happens to him, is of general interest. - E.B. White

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