Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

effortless

American  
[ef-ert-lis] / ˈɛf ərt lɪs /

adjective

  1. requiring or involving no effort; displaying no signs of effort; easy.

    an effortless writing style.
effortless British  
/ ˈɛfətlɪs /

adjective

  1. requiring or involving little effort; easy

  2. archaic making little effort; passive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • effortlessly adverb
  • effortlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of effortless

First recorded in 1795–1805; effort + -less

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.

Broucke created an elaborate color and number-coded spreadsheet tracking each cast member’s location, scene and song in those 15-minute increments to ensure the staging appears effortless.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Weaver and Taylor both make it seem effortless, but sometimes, it’s not quite that easy.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

These call her "so cute your heart stops," hype up her "angelic smile" as she hugs world leaders and feature her effortless "out-debating" of an opposition lawmaker.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

"Raeburn's expressive, seemingly effortless brushwork, the characteristic warm palette, soft atmospheric lighting and sensitive rendering of the instantly recognisable Robert Burns are a joy," she said.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

Her time with Tariq’s family always felt natural to Laila, effortless, uncomplicated by differences in tribe or language, or by the personal spites and grudges that infected the air at her own home.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

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.