Synonyms of effortful

effortful

adjective

ˈe-fərt-fəl 

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort

the book's abstruse subject matter and dense prose make for effortful reading

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• challenging
• rigorous
• tough
• demanding
• hard
• formidable
• complicated
• arduous
• heavy
• laborious
• strenuous
• toilsome
• sweaty
• rough
• rugged
• severe
• herculean
• painful
• exhausting
• tall
• uphill
• grueling
• backbreaking
• intricate
• testing
• exacting
• complex
• murderous
• stiff
• serious
• problematic
• annoying
• moiling
• elusive
• killer
• stressful
• abstruse
• hellacious
• tricky
• involved
• abstract
• onerous
• stubborn
• Augean
• recondite
• troublesome
• burdensome
• trying
• pick-and-shovel
• grim
• brutal
• oppressive
• ticklish
• tight
• opaque
• insoluble
• labored
• knotty
• irksome
• thorny
• bruising
• strict
• bothersome
• hairy
• vexatious
• spiny
• stringent
• taxing
• distressing
• cruel
• grievous
• inhuman

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• effortless
• cheap
• undemanding
• soft
• mindless
• light
• facile
• uncomplicated
• elementary
• clear
• achievable
• manageable
• doable
• smooth
• gentle
• painless
• relaxed
• soothing
• comforting
• accessible
• friendly
• user-friendly
• idiotproof

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of effortful

However, theories about how people regulate their emotions suggest that, like any effortful psychological process, reappraisal involves multiple steps. — Christian Waugh, The Conversation, 12 May 2026

The same goes for anyone who finds visualization mentally effortful in a way that feels alerting rather than relaxing. — Angela Haupt, Time, 5 May 2026

But this Roundabout production at Studio 54 — the site of glittering debauchery of another era — just isn’t all that much fun, being mostly effortful, maddening and finally exhausting. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026

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