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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of effortful
The film’s chief sin is its effortful posture of compassion for the plight of these boys, and those like them in the real world.
—
Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Now, early, effortful gig jobs (like Uber and DoorDash) are on the decline, replaced by low-effort digital side gigs.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
As those of us who received some sourdough starter during the pandemic and made big plans to master the craft can attest, baking sourdough bread from scratch is, as Neeson pointed out, effortful.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 24 July 2025
Some of his films are insufficiently grounded in drama; others undercut ample drama with effortful direction.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for effortful
Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Now, early, effortful gig jobs (like Uber and DoorDash) are on the decline, replaced by low-effort digital side gigs.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
As those of us who received some sourdough starter during the pandemic and made big plans to master the craft can attest, baking sourdough bread from scratch is, as Neeson pointed out, effortful.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 24 July 2025
Some of his films are insufficiently grounded in drama; others undercut ample drama with effortful direction.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for effortful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effortful
Adjective
-
Cue, Helm’s first rejection, abandonment, difficult emotions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
This character was actually quite difficult for me.—
Gavin J Blair,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Even at the show itself, some onlookers had found Lantink’s first non-couture collection from the house for a decade or so too challenging for their sensibilities to compute.—
Luke Leitch,
Vogue,
28 Oct. 2025
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While its not uncommon for companies to establish new garment factories, new mills are more challenging.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
All in all, even a moderate approach was like 12-hours of rigorous cardio.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
-
His label pioneered the industry’s intensive training system, recruiting performers as young as elementary school age and putting them through years of rigorous preparation.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether or not Takaichi's administration is as tough on immigration issues as her campaign rhetoric suggests, some observers warn that failing to actively invest in and integrate foreign nationals into society will have lasting harm on Asia’s second-largest economy.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Without a consolidation of that vote in the final stretch, Mamdani appears tough to beat.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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One of the tale’s bitterest ironies is that Victor will become a more demanding, more neglectful, and vastly more destructive father figure than Leopold ever was.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2025
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Check-in bullies are the most demanding hotel guests.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Developed by scientists at TU Delft, the algorithm can help perform tasks at hard-to-reach infrastructure, like offshore wind turbines.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Creatures crawling out of gunk, their legs extending, their toe-webs rescinding, amoebic eyes getting harder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Effortful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effortful. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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