effortless
Americanadjective
adjective
-
requiring or involving little effort; easy
-
archaic making little effort; passive
Other Word 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.
While the popular girls strutted through the halls with their effortless Pinterest-inspired updos, I was applying brown eyeshadow to my scalp to disguise the sparse spots.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
“Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveler experience,” Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin said.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Singer Shreya Ghosal recalled growing up "listening to her, learning from her, and being in awe of her effortless versatility", adding that she made "every note feel alive, every emotion feel personal".
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
His spoken recitations make such detailed vintage poems as “The Round Corral” and “Cattle” effortless to follow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
I had peers who were always a step or two ahead of me, whose achievements seemed effortless, but I tried not to let that get to me.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
