essayed something

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es•say

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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.

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Other words from.

• es·sayer noun
• prees·say verb (used without object)
• unes·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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Definition of essay noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• 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.
• Essays handed in late will not be accepted.
• Have you done your essay yet?
• He concludes the essay by calling for a corrective.
• I finished my essay about 10 o'clock last night!
• Lunch was the only time she could finish her essay assignment.
• We have to write an essay on the environment.
• You have to answer 3 out of 8 essay questions in the exam.
• the teenage winner of an essay contest
• We have to write an essay on the causes of the First World War.
• be entitled something
• be titled something
• address something
• in an/​the essay
• essay about

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The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app

essay in American English

Essay in british english, examples of 'essay' in a sentence essay, related word partners essay, trends of essay.

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“If this is not great, I’m really gonna cry”: Carrie-Anne Moss Was So Close to Crying on Set While Desperately Trying to Ace Her Lightsaber Fight

S tar Wars is gearing up for its first live-action venture into the High Republic era with The Acolyte , a show set about a hundred years before the events of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace . Carrie Anne Moss, who essayed the role of Trinity in The Matrix , will be appearing in the show as a powerful Jedi Master, who goes by the name Indara.

Carrie-Anne Moss talked about her experiences filming the show with Empire Magazine, revealing her excitement about the lightsaber scenes that came her way as a part of the production. She emphasized how important it was for her to get it right, as they are the one defining factor that Star Wars has that sets it apart from other stories in the genre.

Carrie-Anne Moss “almost cried” while filming scenes with the lightsaber

Carrie-Anne Moss talked to Empire about how she felt about filming her lightsaber duels, and how important it was for her that they were well done. The franchise, under Disney, has been criticized for its lack of good lightsaber fights, especially when contrasted with the kind that audiences have come to enjoy from the Prequel trilogy. Regarding how she felt working with lightsabers, the actress said:

The lightsaber was really important to me. I felt like a little kid who just wanted to do it so right. I could have almost cried. I don’t usually feel that way. I had to say to everybody, ‘I want to get this so right, that I may have to make some mistakes first.’ The weight on my shoulders – and on my heart – that I felt to do the lightsaber well was something I didn’t expect. Like, ‘If this is not great, I’m really gonna cry.’ So I practised a lot in my hotel with a broomstick. I think we did end up reshooting that, actually.

Lightsaber battles are an important aspect of Star Wars, and while there can be great Star Wars content without it, like in the case of Andor, the shows and films that do depict it need to do it justice to be palatable to fans. Creators can’t just get away by treating the lightsabers like baseball bats, as they must feel like weapons from a more civilized time.

Star Wars might need a little bit of course correction

The Acolyte is yet to be released, but fans seem to have already tuned out of the show and what it brings to the table. This might be because of how divided the fandom has become in the last couple of years in the wake of the Sequel trilogy under Disney. What needs to be the focus for the company is to reunite the fandom with good content, one that is more reminiscent of the Star Wars of old, rather than making it a simple fantasy story that tries to cater to one particular side of the fandom while ignoring the other.

“Spielberg vs Avengers 5, who is going to win?”: 3x Oscar Winner Steven Spielberg Will Face Off Against Two Giants of Hollywood, Avengers and Star Wars, With His UFO Movie

While shows that have been created by the likes of Dave Filoni have done well, they too have split the fandom slightly, but perhaps not as much as what some other stories have done. While it is yet to be seen how The Acolyte is received by the critics and fans, Disney must work towards reorienting the IP to focus more on what the fans want and deliver it in the manner they want it.

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Definition of assay

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

intransitive verb

Definition of assay  (Entry 2 of 2)

Did you know?

Usage experts warn against confusing the verbs assay and essay . Some confusion shouldn’t be surprising; not only do the two somewhat uncommon words look and sound alike, they also come from the same root, the Middle French word essai , meaning "test" or "effort." ( Essai , in turn, comes from the Late Latin word exagium , meaning "act of weighing.") At one time, the two terms were synonyms, sharing the meaning "try" or "attempt," but they are now typically differentiated, with essay meaning "to try or attempt" (as in "a comedic actor essaying her first dramatic role") and assay meaning "to test or evaluate" (as in "blood assayed to detect the presence of the antibody"). Of course, essay is more common as a noun referring to a short analytic or personal literary composition, but that’s another essay .

• deconstruct
• anatomizing
• deconstruction

Examples of assay in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French assai, essai — more at essay entry 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing assay

• enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay

Articles Related to assay

To 'Essay' or 'Assay'?

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Dictionary Entries Near assay

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Cite this Entry

“Assay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assay. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of assay.

Kids Definition of assay  (Entry 2 of 2)

Medical Definition

Medical definition of assay.

Medical Definition of assay  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on assay

Nglish: Translation of assay for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assay for Arabic Speakers

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Meaning of essaying in English

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• give something your best shot idiom
• go after someone
• go all out idiom
• go down swinging/fighting idiom
• go for someone
• shoot for the moon idiom
• shoot the works idiom
• smarten (someone/something) up
• smarten up your act idiom
• square the circle idiom

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