Without Effort: English Vocabulary List

with minimum effort or time

"The knife cut the cake like a hot knife through butter."

"The new saw cut through the thick wooden plank like a hot knife through butter with no effort at all."

to need to put a lot of hard work or energy into doing something

"He didn't break a sweat."

"The marathon runner didn't break a sweat during the entire training session because the weather was cool and the route was completely flat."

to progress without facing problems or difficulties

"It was smooth sailing."

"After months of careful planning and preparation, the product launch was smooth sailing, and customers responded positively from the very first day."

(of a learned skill) still easy to do after not practicing for long

"Once you learn to swim, it is like riding a bike."

"Once you learn how to swim it is like riding a bike you never forget the skill completely."

to be really good at something as soon as one starts to do it

"He took to flying like a duck to water."

"The young child took to reading like a duck to water and was reading chapter books by age five."

said to mean that something can be easily done or achieved

"It's no muss, no fuss."

"The online ordering process was so simple and efficient, it was truly no muss, no fuss."

used to refer to a really easy task or undertaking

"That test was a walk in the park."

"The final exam was a walk in the park compared to the difficult midterm tests we had taken earlier in the semester."

the easiest achievable task in a given situation

"Let us focus on the low-hanging fruit first."

"The new manager focused on low-hanging fruit first by fixing the easiest problems before tackling the more difficult challenges facing the department."

said to mean that something is very easy to find out

"No prizes for guessing who ate the last biscuit."

"No prizes for guessing which department went over budget again this quarter."

the fastest or easiest way in which something can be done or dealt with

"He chose the path of least resistance."

"She always takes the line of least resistance when making difficult decisions at work."

to experience no or very few difficulties or disruptions, particularly after a period of hardship

"The business is in smooth water."

"After months of financial struggles, the company is finally in smooth water and growing steadily."

to be achievable or available for someone without much difficulty or time

"The job is yours for the asking."

"The championship title is theirs for the taking if they win this final game tonight."

to receive something unexpectedly and without effort

"A new job just fell into my lap."

"A wonderful job opportunity fell into her lap just when she needed it the most."

in an easy manner and without facing many difficulties

"He could solve this with one arm tied behind his back."

"The experienced programmer could fix that bug with one hand tied behind his back because he had seen it many times before."

in a way that is effortless or easy

"She won hands down."

"With her superior skills and preparation, she won the competition hands down."

a benefit that is obtained at the cost or with the effort of another person

"He got a free ride."

"He enjoyed a free ride through college, thanks to his wealthy benefactor's generosity."