Effortful leisure is a source of meaning in everyday life.

People derive much purpose from their work, yet time spent on work is decreasing. Here, we ask if effortful leisure is a powerful source of meaning and purpose which could supplement the reduction in labor time. In four studies (N = 2,169), we investigated the relationship between effort and meaning in leisure activities. In Study 1, we found that participants rated effortful activities as more meaningful, although less enjoyable, suggesting a trade-off between eudaimonic and hedonic wellbeing. Studies 2a and 2b provided causal evidence by comparing effortful (Sudoku puzzling) and non-effortful leisure (watching videos). Effortful activities consistently felt more meaningful, though the effects plateaued at higher levels of effort. Finally, Study 3 used experience sampling to assess activities as they occurred in real life. Effortful leisure uniquely fosters meaning while maintaining enjoyment, whereas other activities tend to feel less enjoyable with increased effort. Across all studies, we found that effort promotes daily meaningful experiences, particularly in leisure contexts, where effort does not diminish enjoyment. Effortful leisure may offer a powerful opportunity to supplement or replace the once plentiful purpose we derived from our now diminishing time at work.