Skip to main content
effortful

effortful

1 6.9
Needing a lot of physical or mental work
  • adjective
  • /ˈɛfərtfəl/
translation icon : esforzado
  • Research with children, in particular, has established that eye movements are sensitive indicators of effortful versus efficient cognitive processing during reading.
  • effortful control
  • effortful attention
  • effortful processing

It is more effortful to not portray the truth.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Completing the puzzle was an effortful task that required both patience and concentration.

  • With development, however, children's capacity for effortful control increases.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Therefore, achievement goals are process variables that reflect individual differences in effortful physical exertion.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Effortful control constructs have become extremely important in understanding the influences of temperament on behavior.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Effortful, goal-focused endurance is instrumental in both achieving and maintaining control in a social context.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The learner engages in effortful problem-solving activities to resolve the impasse and restore equilibrium.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The temperament quality of "effortful control" is evident in preschoolers but not infants (Rothbart, 1987).

    Academic text (1998)
  • She found studying for the exam to be quite effortful due to the amount of material covered.

  • Running a marathon is an effortful endeavor that tests both physical endurance and mental toughness.

Synonyms

hard
vseffortful
1.1

Needing a lot of effort and often strict or severe

means great exertion in general without implying harshness or strictness
difficult
vseffortful
1.6

Not easy to do or understand

focuses on great exertion or strain rather than general difficulty
intensive
vseffortful
156 4.3

Needing a lot of work, care, or money at the same time

is about great exertion generally rather than concentrated bursts
strenuous
vseffortful
34 4.9

Needing a lot of effort or energy

stresses broad great effort including mental strain
arduous
vseffortful
29 7.7

Very difficult to do and needing a lot of effort over a long time

involves great effort but not always long or exhaustive
laborious
vseffortful
10 6.8

A task or process that needs a lot of time and hard work

is about heavy exertion without the sense of tedium or slow work
demanding
vseffortful
4.1

Needing a lot of time, effort, or attention

focuses on effort and attention but can be less about sheer exertion

Antonyms

1.0

Not hard to do, understand, or achieve

26 2.6

Done easily and smoothly without hard work

How Effortful

grueling
30 7.0
strenuous
34 4.9
effortful
1 6.9
demanding
4.1
challenging
183 4.4

Surface Forms

effortful positive

Morphology

effortful = effort (transparent) = effort + ful

Meaning is directly derived from 'effort' + the productive adjectival suffix '-ful', indicating 'full of' or 'requiring' effort.

Etymology

The word effortful comes from effort (a 'strong push' or 'hard work') plus the ending -ful meaning 'full of'. So an effortful task is one that needs a lot of hard work, like pushing a heavy door that takes all your strength.