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
He’s introduced as an anxious father but then his particular behaviors — a hyper-attention to detail, the effortful attempt to control his jaw muscles, the tenseness of his smile — become signs of a more malevolent violence.
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Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Aug. 2024
Tatum shot poorly, at times seeming stiffened by nerves; Brown, consistently effortful, sporadically dynamic, came to the rescue.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
That effortful confidence carried over into politics.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
This is a significantly less effortful experience if a shopper has more than a few items.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for effortful 
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Aug. 2024
Tatum shot poorly, at times seeming stiffened by nerves; Brown, consistently effortful, sporadically dynamic, came to the rescue.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
That effortful confidence carried over into politics.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
This is a significantly less effortful experience if a shopper has more than a few items.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for effortful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effortful
Adjective
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Antiaircraft fire kept the bombers so high, however, that aim was difficult to manage, and the bombs fell indiscriminately, destroying more than 4,300 homes while damaging three-quarters of the city's factories.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
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The decomposition products of chloramines are difficult to isolate and identify, and this substance has proven particularly elusive.Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The company continues to focus on expanding its distribution business and broadening its product range, despite the challenging economic environment.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
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The digital detox journey can be challenging, but many people discover it to be rewarding in the end.Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Yet a Brown University study found that students who took courses from professors with more rigorous grading standards learned more.Karin Klein, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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And the Bruins played a rigorous out-of-state schedule to prepare for another run.Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The Buffs need to find a way to grind out tough yards on the ground, especially late.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
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Bosa confirmed Wednesday that playing through a hip injury last game was the toughest pain he’s endured in 5 1/2 seasons.Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The dedicated graphics card is capable of 1080p gaming at medium settings just as long as the title isn’t too demanding and will help with any graphic design tasks.Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
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Every iPhone 16 has 8 GB of RAM, yet that’s cutting it close for the most demanding titles and can lead to crashes.Craig Grannell, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near effortful
Cite this Entry
“Effortful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effortful. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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