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
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Aviation experts said those conditions would have been difficult to navigate that evening when the helicopter, a Robinson R66, crashed in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.
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But traffic on the waterway remains a fraction of pre-war levels with different authorities vying to organize the transit of vessels, leaving operators with a difficult choice over which path to take.
Adjective
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Keeping your hair looking and feeling shiny can be challenging, but not with this hair kit.
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Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said that fighting the fire had been extremely challenging.
Adjective
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And a rigorous screening protocol for LFS patients developed by David Malkin, a protege of Fraumeni and Li, helps detect early-stage malignancies, improving the odds of treating them and prolonging lives.
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According to Lacey, who helped set up the Code Four program last year, enforcing the law requires a clear grasp of ethics and a rigorous attention to detail to make sure the job is done well.
Adjective
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Summer 2026 is having a tough time deciding on this season’s dominating nail trend.
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These are typically low-wage jobs that the healthcare industry writ large has had a tough time recruiting for since the pandemic.
Adjective
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In a demanding, real-world performance setting — a capstone exercise, a live performance, a high-stakes simulation — the goal is not to eliminate all mistakes, but to stay in control and navigate the zone of being uncomfortable.
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New York crowds are passionate, honest, and demanding.
Adjective
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In the days leading up to his show, Chavarria and his team were hard at work in his make-shift studio in the 6th arrondissement.
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Closing a chapter, not the relationships For Sevy, the hardest part is closing this chapter with the people who made the place feel like home.
Cite this Entry
“Effortful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effortful. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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