Difficult
Difficult adjective - Requiring considerable physical or mental effort.
Usage example: difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking
Effortful is a synonym for difficult in heavy topic. In some cases you can use "Effortful" instead an adjective "Difficult", when it comes to topics like hard to do.
Nearby Word: difficulty
Effortful
Effortful adjective - Requiring considerable physical or mental effort.
Usage example: the book's abstruse subject matter and dense prose make for effortful reading
Difficult is a synonym for effortful in heavy topic. You can use "Difficult" instead an adjective "Effortful", if it concerns topics such as hard, burdensome.
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Cite this Source
Effortful and Difficult. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/effortful
Difficult & Effortful. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/effortful>.
Effortful or Difficult. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/effortful.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "difficult" and "effortful" have occurred on timeline