Pronunciation

/ˈeseɪ/

Definitions

• Noun: A short piece of writing on a particular subject, often written as a school or college assignment. Example: “She submitted her persuasive essay on climate change.”

  • Also, an attempt or effort to do something. Example: “His first essay at painting was surprisingly good.”

• Verb: To try or attempt (to do something). Example: “She decided to essay a new approach to solving the problem.”

Phrases

• “Essay question”: A question in an exam that requires an extended answer in the form of an essay.
• “To essay a role”: In acting, it means to take on a character or part in a play or film.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The student spent hours perfecting his history essay before submitting it.”
• Verb: “He decided to essay a solo journey across Europe to challenge himself.”

Synonyms

• Noun (for written piece): Composition, paper, dissertation, thesis, article
• Verb (to attempt): Try, endeavor, undertake, assay

Note: The verb form of “essay” is less commonly used than its noun form in everyday language. When used as a verb, it often carries a sense of undertaking a task with some difficulty or novelty, rather than just performing a routine action.