What does essaying mean?
Essaying is the present participle of the verb "to essay," meaning to attempt or try to accomplish something, particularly when the outcome is uncertain or the task is demanding. It is a formal, somewhat literary word that lends dignity and deliberation to the act of trying: one essays a climb, a reconciliation, or a difficult piece of music rather than merely having a go at it. In theatre criticism, essaying has a specialized sense of portraying or taking on a character, as when a reviewer notes that a young actor is essaying Hamlet for the first time. The word derives from the same French root as the noun "essay" — Montaigne's "essais," or "attempts" — which explains its connotation of trial and experiment rather than guaranteed achievement. Because it sounds elevated, essaying appears mostly in written prose, reviews, and formal narrative rather than conversation, where simpler synonyms like trying or attempting prevail. Its precision and gravitas make it valuable to writers who want to signal effortful, purposeful endeavour without cliché.
verbThe present participle of the verb "essay": attempting or trying something, especially something difficult or uncertain of success.
- To attempt or try to do something, especially something difficult or demanding.
- (Of an actor) to portray or take on a role in performance.
"She stood at the edge of the stage, essaying her first solo in years."
"After months of preparation, he was finally essaying the climb to the summit."
"The young actress is essaying the title role in the company's new production of Hamlet."
Montaigne invented the personal essay by calling his writings "essais" — French for "attempts" — so every time you write an essay, you're really just trying.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of essaying
The verb "essay" entered English in the late Middle Ages from Old French "essaier," meaning to test or attempt, itself derived from Late Latin "exagium," a weighing or balance — the same root that gives us "assay" and, via the French "essai," Montaigne's celebrated personal essays. To essay something was originally to weigh it out, to put it to the proof, and this sense of testing one's powers against a challenge survives in the modern participle "essaying." English writers have used the verb since at least the sixteenth century, often alongside its sibling "assay," before the two drifted into their distinct modern meanings.
Related word forms
How essaying is actually used
Register: formal or literary; rare in everyday speech, where "trying" or "attempting" would normally be used. The theatrical sense — essaying a role — is common in reviews and arts journalism. The verb rhymes internally with the noun "essay" but carries a different stress pattern from casual use of "say."
Easily confused with essaying
"Assaying" means testing or analyzing the composition of a substance such as metal ore, whereas "essaying" means attempting or trying to do something.
"Saying" means uttering words aloud, while "essaying" means attempting a task or endeavour.