effortful

adjective

ef·​fort·​ful ˈe-fərt-fəl How to pronounce effortful (audio)
: 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.
Sometimes, stars on SNL are born of effortful attention-seeking. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025 Igor’s eyes were cloudy, and his chest rattled with effortful breathing. Brandon Taylor, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2025 The film is a feat of maximalist and moody production design and cinematography, but the tedious and overwrought script renders every character two-dimensional, despite the effortful acting and teary pronunciations. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024 Somehow, organizational antibodies that should have kicked in to prevent this effortful process weren’t there. Roger Dooley, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near effortful

effort

effortful

effortless

Cite this Entry

“Effortful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effortful. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on effortful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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