essay
noun
• a short piece of writing on a particular subject.
Similar:
article,
piece of writing,
composition,
study,
paper,
dissertation,
assignment,
thesis,
discourse,
treatise,
text,
tract,
disquisition,
monograph,
leader,
commentary,
critique,
criticism,
exposition,
appraisal,
assessment,
discussion,
theme,
piece,
• an attempt or effort.
• "a misjudged essay in job preservation"
Similar:
attempt,
effort,
endeavour,
try,
venture,
trial,
experiment,
undertaking,
crack,
go,
shot,
stab,
bash,
whack,
essay
verb
• attempt or try.
• "Donald essayed a smile"
Similar:
attempt,
make an attempt at,
try,
strive,
aim,
venture,
endeavour,
seek,
set out,
do one's best,
do all one can,
do one's utmost,
make an effort,
make every effort,
spare no effort,
give one's all,
take it on oneself,
have a go at,
undertake,
embark on,
try one's hand at,
try out,
take on,
give it a whirl,
give it one's best shot,
go all out,
pull out all the stops,
bend over backwards,
knock oneself out,
bust a gut,
break one's neck,
move heaven and earth,
have a crack at,
have a shot at,
have a stab at,
Origin:
late 15th century (as a verb in the sense ‘test the quality of’): alteration of assay, by association with Old French essayer, based on late Latin exagium ‘weighing’, from the base of exigere ‘ascertain, weigh’; the noun (late 16th century) is from Old French essai ‘trial’.
