effortless
Americanadjective
adjective
-
requiring or involving little effort; easy
-
archaic making little effort; passive
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of effortless
Explanation
Something effortless is easy to do — or at least appears that way. Great basketball players make scoring three-point shots look effortless. If you always know just what to wear, you have an effortless sense of style. Effort is the work it takes to do something. Moving a couch and staying on a diet both require effort. If something is effortless, it takes no work at all to do. For example, lifting a feather is effortless. Writing may be effortless for some people, but difficult for others. Also, some things just look effortless. A great musician might make playing guitar sound effortless, but years of practice probably went into it. Experts make difficult things seem effortless.
Vocabulary lists containing effortless
Power Suffix: -less
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Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“A grand motor court welcomes you to a residence designed for elevated living and effortless entertaining.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
The insatiable demand for stocks and options—which produce effortless profits—is driving record trading volumes.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
In all my years of music, I never heard anyone who possessed that kind of range or that effortless, carefree ability to soar through a melody.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
Blunt, meanwhile, said returning to her iconic role as Emily "was effortless - like a comfortable pair of old slippers".
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
The man wore a heavy cloak with a fur collar, fastened with a silver mockingbird, and he had the effortless manner of a high lord, but she did not know him.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
