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Synonyms and antonyms of essay in English

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Synonyms of 'essay' in British English

Additional synonyms, synonyms of 'essay' in american english, video: pronunciation of essay.

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Synonyms for essay

• composition
• dissertation
• disquisition
• undertaking
• have a go at
• have a shot at
• have a crack at
• have a bash at

a relatively brief discourse written especially as an exercise

A procedure that ascertains effectiveness, value, proper function, or other quality, a trying to do or make something, to make an attempt to do or make, to subject to a procedure that ascertains effectiveness, value, proper function, or other quality, an analytic or interpretive literary composition, related words.

• piece of writing
• written material
• thanatopsis

a tentative attempt

Make an effort or attempt.

• pick up the gauntlet
• take a dare
• give it a try
• give it a whirl
• take a chance
• take chances
• lay on the line
• put on the line

put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to

• pass judgment
• Esperantido
• espionage agent
• espionage network
• espresso maker
• espresso shop
• esprit de corps
• esprit de l'escalier
• essential amino acid
• essential condition
• essential hypertension
• essential oil
• essential thrombocytopenia
• essential tremor
• essentiality
• essentially
• essentialness
• established
• established church
• establishment
• establishmentarian
• establishmentarianism
• Essad Pasha
• Essad Pasha Toptani
• Essad Toptani
• Essai Fondé sur la Préférence du Patient
• Essais Cliniques en Lorraine
• Essais Cliniques et Validation
• Essais d'Aptitude Par Inter-Comparaison
• Essais Périodiques
• Essanay Film Manufacturing Company
• Essar Power Gujarat Ltd.
• Essar Shipping and Logistics Ltd.
• Essarts Club Archerie
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  Vocabulary      

What is another word for essay ?

Synonyms for essay ˈɛs eɪ or, for 3,5 , ɛˈseɪ; ɛˈseɪ es·say, this thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word essay ., english synonyms and antonyms rate these synonyms: 2.7 / 3 votes.

To attempt is to take action somewhat experimentally with the hope and purpose of accomplishing a certain result; to endeavor is to attempt strenuously and with firm and enduring purpose. To attempt expresses a single act; to endeavor , a continuous exertion; we say I will endeavor (not I will attempt ) while I live. To attempt is with the view of accomplishing; to essay , with a view of testing our own powers. To undertake is to accept or take upon oneself as an obligation, as some business, labor, or trust; the word often implies complete assurance of success; as, I will undertake to produce the witness. To strive suggests little of the result, much of toil, strain, and contest, in seeking it; I will strive to fulfil your wishes, i. e. , I will spare no labor and exertion to do it. Try is the most comprehensive of these words. The original idea of testing or experimenting is not thought of when a man says "I will try ." To attempt suggests giving up, if the thing is not accomplished at a stroke; to try implies using other means and studying out other ways if not at first successful. Endeavor is more mild and formal; the pilot in the burning pilot-house does not say "I will endeavor " or "I will attempt to hold the ship to her course," but "I'll try , sir!"

Synonyms: attempt , endeavor , endeavor , strive , try , undertake

Antonyms: abandon , dismiss , drop , give up , let go , neglect , omit , overlook , pass by , throw away , throw over , throw up

Princeton's WordNet Rate these synonyms: 1.0 / 2 votes

an analytic or interpretive literary composition

a tentative attempt

try, seek, attempt, essay, assay verb

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"

Synonyms: attempt , examine , search , stress , adjudicate , strain , seek , look for , assay , try out , try , prove , test , try on , taste , hear , set about , undertake , sample , judge , render

test, prove, try, try out, examine, essay verb

put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to

"This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe"

Synonyms: audition , rise , analyze , leaven , try , sample , show , testify , establish , test , evidence , try out , study , examine , see , seek , try on , probe , quiz , attempt , raise , adjudicate , render , prove , shew , judge , screen , taste , turn out , demonstrate , turn up , experiment , strain , analyse , stress , hear , canvass , assay , canvas , bear witness

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Editors contribution rate these synonyms: 0.0 / 0 votes.

piece of writing

write an essay of a students

Dictionary of English Synonymes Rate these synonyms: 0.0 / 0 votes

Synonyms: attempt , try , endeavor

Synonyms: attempt , trial , endeavor , effort , struggle , aim

Synonyms: tract , dissertation , treatise , disquisition , brief discourse

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words Rate these synonyms: 0.0 / 0 votes

Synonyms: dissertation , article , disquisition , thesis , attempt , effort , trial

PPDB, the paraphrase database Rate these paraphrases: 1.0 / 1 vote

List of paraphrases for "essay":

dissertation , test , trial , drafting , composition , testing

How to pronounce essay?

How to say essay in sign language, words popularity by usage frequency, how to use essay in a sentence.

Neama Rahmani :

Bail reform and COVID delays claim another innocent victim, george Gascon has been largely criticized for the increase in violent crime in Los Angeles. Los Angeles’s time George Gascon stops acting like a defense attorney and allows prosecutors to charge violent felons with sentencing enhancements. George Gascon, the progressive Los Angeles district attorney, has raised the ire of law enforcement and George Gascon own assistant DAs for George Gascon allegedly soft-on-crime policies. Los Angeles POLICE ID Shawn Laval Smith AS SUSPECTED KILLER OF Brianna Kupfer Homicides are up more than 60 % in the City of Los Angeles and over 90 % in Los Angeles, according to records from the LAPD and sheriff’s office. Eric Siddall, the vice president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, excoriated Gascon in an essay published to the union’s website this week.

Emma Rebell :

Empower your words, free your time  Write My Essay for Me.

Roger McNamee :

By draping his essay in the guise of cooperation, Zuckerberg hopes to distract policy makers from the real threat, their code and algorithms influence our daily lives in ways far more intrusive than democratic governments or the law. No one elected these companies and they refuse to be held accountable.

Samuel Johnson :

ESSAY -- A loose sally of the mind an irregular indigested piece not a regular and orderly composition.

Miguel Proenca :

There could not be a more interesting time to explore the issue of the European borders, and obviously the refugee crisis and the terrorist attacks gave a different meaning to the project we are developing, because we decided to focus on the domestic borders, in the larger picture, the questions that we were asking ourselves and the essay raised is still the same and is about the identity of Europe: the multiculturalism, citizenship, economy, different speeds of growing, communitarian isolation and discrimination.

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Words to Use in an Essay: 300 Essay Words

Hannah Yang

Table of Contents

Words to use in the essay introduction, words to use in the body of the essay, words to use in your essay conclusion, how to improve your essay writing vocabulary.

It’s not easy to write an academic essay .

Many students struggle to word their arguments in a logical and concise way.

To make matters worse, academic essays need to adhere to a certain level of formality, so we can’t always use the same word choices in essay writing that we would use in daily life.

If you’re struggling to choose the right words for your essay, don’t worry—you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of over 300 words and phrases to use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essay.

The introduction is one of the hardest parts of an essay to write.

You have only one chance to make a first impression, and you want to hook your reader. If the introduction isn’t effective, the reader might not even bother to read the rest of the essay.

That’s why it’s important to be thoughtful and deliberate with the words you choose at the beginning of your essay.

Many students use a quote in the introductory paragraph to establish credibility and set the tone for the rest of the essay.

When you’re referencing another author or speaker, try using some of these phrases:

To use the words of X

According to X

As X states

Example: To use the words of Hillary Clinton, “You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health.”

Near the end of the introduction, you should state the thesis to explain the central point of your paper.

If you’re not sure how to introduce your thesis, try using some of these phrases:

In this essay, I will…

The purpose of this essay…

This essay discusses…

In this paper, I put forward the claim that…

There are three main arguments for…

Example: In this essay, I will explain why dress codes in public schools are detrimental to students.

After you’ve stated your thesis, it’s time to start presenting the arguments you’ll use to back up that central idea.

When you’re introducing the first of a series of arguments, you can use the following words:

First and foremost

First of all

To begin with

Example: First , consider the effects that this new social security policy would have on low-income taxpayers.

All these words and phrases will help you create a more successful introduction and convince your audience to read on.

The body of your essay is where you’ll explain your core arguments and present your evidence.

It’s important to choose words and phrases for the body of your essay that will help the reader understand your position and convince them you’ve done your research.

Let’s look at some different types of words and phrases that you can use in the body of your essay, as well as some examples of what these words look like in a sentence.

Transition Words and Phrases

Transitioning from one argument to another is crucial for a good essay.

It’s important to guide your reader from one idea to the next so they don’t get lost or feel like you’re jumping around at random.

Transition phrases and linking words show your reader you’re about to move from one argument to the next, smoothing out their reading experience. They also make your writing look more professional.

The simplest transition involves moving from one idea to a separate one that supports the same overall argument. Try using these phrases when you want to introduce a second correlating idea:

Additionally

In addition

Furthermore

Another key thing to remember

In the same way

Correspondingly

Example: Additionally , public parks increase property value because home buyers prefer houses that are located close to green, open spaces.

Another type of transition involves restating. It’s often useful to restate complex ideas in simpler terms to help the reader digest them. When you’re restating an idea, you can use the following words:

In other words

To put it another way

That is to say

To put it more simply

Example: “The research showed that 53% of students surveyed expressed a mild or strong preference for more on-campus housing. In other words , over half the students wanted more dormitory options.”

Often, you’ll need to provide examples to illustrate your point more clearly for the reader. When you’re about to give an example of something you just said, you can use the following words:

For instance

To give an illustration of

To exemplify

To demonstrate

As evidence

Example: Humans have long tried to exert control over our natural environment. For instance , engineers reversed the Chicago River in 1900, causing it to permanently flow backward.

Sometimes, you’ll need to explain the impact or consequence of something you’ve just said.

When you’re drawing a conclusion from evidence you’ve presented, try using the following words:

As a result

Accordingly

As you can see

This suggests that

It follows that

It can be seen that

For this reason

For all of those reasons

Consequently

Example: “There wasn’t enough government funding to support the rest of the physics experiment. Thus , the team was forced to shut down their experiment in 1996.”

When introducing an idea that bolsters one you’ve already stated, or adds another important aspect to that same argument, you can use the following words:

What’s more

Not only…but also

Not to mention

To say nothing of

Another key point

Example: The volcanic eruption disrupted hundreds of thousands of people. Moreover , it impacted the local flora and fauna as well, causing nearly a hundred species to go extinct.

Often, you'll want to present two sides of the same argument. When you need to compare and contrast ideas, you can use the following words:

On the one hand / on the other hand

Alternatively

In contrast to

On the contrary

By contrast

In comparison

Example: On the one hand , the Black Death was undoubtedly a tragedy because it killed millions of Europeans. On the other hand , it created better living conditions for the peasants who survived.

Finally, when you’re introducing a new angle that contradicts your previous idea, you can use the following phrases:

Having said that

Differing from

In spite of

With this in mind

Provided that

Nevertheless

Nonetheless

Notwithstanding

Example: Shakespearean plays are classic works of literature that have stood the test of time. Having said that , I would argue that Shakespeare isn’t the most accessible form of literature to teach students in the twenty-first century.

Good essays include multiple types of logic. You can use a combination of the transitions above to create a strong, clear structure throughout the body of your essay.

Strong Verbs for Academic Writing

Verbs are especially important for writing clear essays. Often, you can convey a nuanced meaning simply by choosing the right verb.

You should use strong verbs that are precise and dynamic. Whenever possible, you should use an unambiguous verb, rather than a generic verb.

For example, alter and fluctuate are stronger verbs than change , because they give the reader more descriptive detail.

Here are some useful verbs that will help make your essay shine.

Verbs that show change:

Accommodate

Verbs that relate to causing or impacting something:

Verbs that show increase:

Verbs that show decrease:

Deteriorate

Verbs that relate to parts of a whole:

Comprises of

Is composed of

Constitutes

Encompasses

Incorporates

Verbs that show a negative stance:

Misconstrue

Verbs that show a positive stance:

Substantiate

Verbs that relate to drawing conclusions from evidence:

Corroborate

Demonstrate

Verbs that relate to thinking and analysis:

Contemplate

Hypothesize

Investigate

Verbs that relate to showing information in a visual format:

Useful Adjectives and Adverbs for Academic Essays

You should use adjectives and adverbs more sparingly than verbs when writing essays, since they sometimes add unnecessary fluff to sentences.

However, choosing the right adjectives and adverbs can help add detail and sophistication to your essay.

Sometimes you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is useful and should be taken seriously. Here are some adjectives that create positive emphasis:

Significant

Other times, you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is harmful or ineffective. Here are some adjectives that create a negative emphasis:

Controversial

Insignificant

Questionable

Unnecessary

Unrealistic

Finally, you might need to use an adverb to lend nuance to a sentence, or to express a specific degree of certainty. Here are some examples of adverbs that are often used in essays:

Comprehensively

Exhaustively

Extensively

Respectively

Surprisingly

Using these words will help you successfully convey the key points you want to express. Once you’ve nailed the body of your essay, it’s time to move on to the conclusion.

The conclusion of your paper is important for synthesizing the arguments you’ve laid out and restating your thesis.

In your concluding paragraph, try using some of these essay words:

In conclusion

To summarize

In a nutshell

Given the above

As described

All things considered

Example: In conclusion , it’s imperative that we take action to address climate change before we lose our coral reefs forever.

In addition to simply summarizing the key points from the body of your essay, you should also add some final takeaways. Give the reader your final opinion and a bit of a food for thought.

To place emphasis on a certain point or a key fact, use these essay words:

Unquestionably

Undoubtedly

Particularly

Importantly

Conclusively

It should be noted

On the whole

Example: Ada Lovelace is unquestionably a powerful role model for young girls around the world, and more of our public school curricula should include her as a historical figure.

These concluding phrases will help you finish writing your essay in a strong, confident way.

There are many useful essay words out there that we didn't include in this article, because they are specific to certain topics.

If you're writing about biology, for example, you will need to use different terminology than if you're writing about literature.

So how do you improve your vocabulary skills?

The vocabulary you use in your academic writing is a toolkit you can build up over time, as long as you take the time to learn new words.

One way to increase your vocabulary is by looking up words you don’t know when you’re reading.

Try reading more books and academic articles in the field you’re writing about and jotting down all the new words you find. You can use these words to bolster your own essays.

You can also consult a dictionary or a thesaurus. When you’re using a word you’re not confident about, researching its meaning and common synonyms can help you make sure it belongs in your essay.

Don't be afraid of using simpler words. Good essay writing boils down to choosing the best word to convey what you need to say, not the fanciest word possible.

Finally, you can use ProWritingAid’s synonym tool or essay checker to find more precise and sophisticated vocabulary. Click on weak words in your essay to find stronger alternatives.

There you have it: our compilation of the best words and phrases to use in your next essay . Good luck!

Good writing = better grades

ProWritingAid will help you improve the style, strength, and clarity of all your assignments.

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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Grunge: A Dull Date, the Sound of Seattle, a ‘Time Capsule’

The New York Times has a long and complicated history with the word grunge. Let’s get down and dingy in it.

By Sarah Diamond

In Word Through The Times, we trace how one word or phrase has changed throughout the history of the newspaper.

The New York Times and “grunge” go way back.

“Grunge,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary , was originally “a general term of disparagement for someone or something that is repugnant or odious, unpleasant, or dull.” Per the dictionary, the word was first printed in 1965 — via The Times. In an article, a reporter offered definitions of slang words: “A difficult date is an ‘octopus,’” the reporter wrote, and “a dull one a ‘grunge .’”

“‘ Grunge’ is a back-formation of ‘grungy,’” Jess Zafarris, an etymologist, said. A back-formation is a word that formed when speakers stopped using a suffix or prefix that had been attached to a longer word. Kory Stamper, a lexicographer at Dictionary.com, said the origin of “grungy” was unknown but that it most likely came into being in the mid-20th century from words like dingy, goo and gunge, British slang for a sticky unknown substance.

Soon, the slang word stuck to subversive music. According to Green’s Dictionary of Slang , “grunge” was used in a 1973 New Yorker article to describe the New York Dolls, a rock band. But by the late 1980s, “grunge” defined the sound of a city on the other side of the United States: Seattle . Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney popularized grunge music, a mash of heavy metal and punk rock. And as the grunge sound reverberated across the country, the aligning subculture grew louder, too.

In November 1992, The Times, eager to cover a hip moment, published a “lexicon of grunge speak.” Megan Jasper, a 25-year-old sales representative at Caroline Records in Seattle, had offered some slang phrases for the article: “Wack slacks,” for example, were old, ripped jeans. “Swingin’ on the flippity-flop” meant hanging out. And “tom-tom club” was code for uncool outsiders. Which, apparently, were some people at The Times: After the article came out, it was revealed in The Baffler that Ms. Jasper had fabricated the words to poke fun at the mainstream media’s coverage of culture. The story behind the prank was explored in a 2017 article by The Ringer.

The embarrassment didn’t stop The Times’s interest in grunge. Appearances of the word in the newspaper peaked in 1993.

That may be because in the early 1990s, grunge itself peaked in popularity. So did grunge fashion, modeled by people like Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana. Loose fits, flannel shirts, ripped jeans, Converse sneakers and Dr. Martens defined the disheveled style. Soon, grunge marched down the runways: In 1993, Marc Jacobs was a “grunge enthusiast,” The Times wrote. “Gianni Versace did grunge,” The Times reported from Milan fashion week, in a “luxury” take “on the scruffy look of downtown Seattle music groups.”

By the late 1990s, grunge had lost its cool. But as is often the case, “grunge” eventually came back into style: In February this year, the reporter Callie Holtermann wrote that fans of Olivia Rodrigo were embracing “grunge fashion from the ’90s” at concerts.

“Grunge,” Ms. Stamper said, has “become a time capsule.”

That’s certainly true for Steven Kurutz, a Styles reporter. In 2019, he wrote an article about how “grunge made blue-collar culture cool.” In the ’90s, Mr. Kurutz went to high school in Pennsylvania, 2,600 miles from Seattle, but felt he could see his community in the grunge subculture. “I could not relate, coming from a working-class, rural background, to so much of pop culture,” he said in an interview. “I think that’s why the music meant even more for me as a teenager, because I was seeing guys on MTV who looked like the people I grew up around. And they were cool!”

For Mr. Kurutz, “grunge” is nostalgic. “I just think about Seattle in 1992.”

Sarah Diamond manages production for narrated articles. She previously worked at National Geographic Studios. More about Sarah Diamond