effortful

adjective

ef·​fort·​ful ˈe-fərt-fəl How to pronounce effortful (audio)
Synonyms of effortfulnext
: showing or requiring effort
effortfully adverb
effortfulness noun

Examples of effortful in a Sentence

the book's abstruse subject matter and dense prose make for effortful reading
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The book forfeits the puckish immediacy of Bush’s Instagram dispatches for more earnest, effortful prose. Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of effortful was circa 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Effortful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effortful. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.

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