as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
the book's abstruse subject matter and dense prose make for effortful reading
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Recent Examples of effortful
Now came the surprise of my effortful steps, the shock of how unyielding the dress’s shell was, as if I were being held in place by a firm hand.
—
Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
What a transformation that would’ve been, of the effortful, unchanging days.
—Nell Freudenberger, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Embodiment comes through repetition, when the nervous system begins to learn safety and repair becomes a natural reflex rather than an effortful performance.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
But that shouldn’t look too effortful, or overly dependent on novelty or shallow surrealism.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effortful
Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
What a transformation that would’ve been, of the effortful, unchanging days.
—Nell Freudenberger, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Embodiment comes through repetition, when the nervous system begins to learn safety and repair becomes a natural reflex rather than an effortful performance.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
But that shouldn’t look too effortful, or overly dependent on novelty or shallow surrealism.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effortful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effortful
Adjective
-
Building the program had proved difficult.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Sindcom 14-Piece Food Storage Containers Set The pantry is one of the most difficult places to organize thanks to boxes of cereal, pasta, baking ingredients, and more scattered about.—
Kelsey Fredricks,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
During a particularly challenging episode with her mental health, Halverson said, his mother went to stay with her sister in Wisconsin.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Perhaps my teen years and college (particularly the latter) would have not been so challenging emotionally, academically and socially.—
Sahaj Kaur Kohli,
Washington Post,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Every small business article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of small business products.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
-
The campaign was the work of Claude Hopkins, an advertising executive with a passion for rigorous testing and measurable results.—
Julia Dhar,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Management has partly attributed the membership slowdown to tougher comparisons from a year earlier, but there’s more to the story.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
-
The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelming voted in favor of a bill that would prohibit children under 16 years old from having a social media account, setting up what is likely to continue to be a tough battle over the coming months.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Despite his lack of both clothing and confidence, the Wolf eventually found his way to the Master of Life, who was also inspiring but demanding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
That is where the conversation becomes more demanding.—
Gregory Shahnovsky,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Getting warships into the water is hard enough without wasting funds on vessels unlikely ever to sail.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
Hulst setting a hard pace from the gun with Serna trying to hold on long enough to outkick him in the end.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Effortful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effortful. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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