1 restless | Definition of restless

restless

adjective
rest·​less | \ ˈrest-lÉ™s How to pronounce restless (audio) \

Definition of restless

1 : lacking or denying rest : uneasy a restless night
2 : continuously moving : unquiet the restless sea
3 : characterized by or manifesting unrest especially of mind restless pacing also : changeful, discontented

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Other Words from restless

restlessly adverb
restlessness noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for restless

Synonyms

restive, uneasy, unquiet, unrestful

Antonyms

restful

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Examples of restless in a Sentence

restless children who can't sit still The audience was becoming restless. He started to feel restless and discontent in his job.
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Recent Examples on the Web

My parents rarely argued, but my mother had become restless and unhappy. Cathy Free, Twin Cities, "Cathy Free: A treasured letter from Dad," 15 June 2019 Club Vistara: Young and restless Club Vistara took a different approach to loyalty than the others. Ajay Awtaney, Quartz India, "A complete guide to frequent flyer miles and credit card points in India," 14 Aug. 2019 Every rent payment was an event; every shopping trip a triumph of caution over the restless caution of a staple. Danielle Jackson, Longreads, "Toni Morrison, 1931-2019," 14 Aug. 2019 Shamar Stephen was getting restless watching from the sidelines. Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, "Shamar Stephen glad to be back with Vikings, finally healthy and ready to go," 12 Aug. 2019 On several occasions, Pfeiffer considered retiring, but her curiosity and restless spirit compelled her abroad. Kate Siber, Outside Online, "Meet the World's First Solo Female Travel Writer," 24 July 2019 If the kids get restless, there’s ample room to play catch behind the fences or a toss of cornhole. Bill Higgins, BostonGlobe.com, "Cape Cod baseball, where the grass is real and the price is right," 16 July 2019 As the night went on, a few members of the chilly crowd got restless and started gathering the wooden folding chairs that had been set up in the infield. John Kelly, Washington Post, "Before there was Woodstock, there was Laurel Pop, Maryland’s fiery rock festival," 10 July 2019 The origin story of banana milk begins in the halls of the world’s eighth-largest bank, where a restless financier felt the itch for something new. Chase Purdy, Quartz, "Banana milk has officially entered the dairy wars," 2 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'restless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of restless

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for restless

restless

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of restless

: feeling nervous or bored and tending to move around a lot : not relaxed or calm
: unhappy about a situation and wanting change
: having little or no rest or sleep

restless

adjective
rest·​less | \ ˈrest-lÉ™s How to pronounce restless (audio) \

Kids Definition of restless

1 : not relaxed or calm The waiting audience became restless.
2 : having or giving no rest But it was a restless sleep in which he tossed and moaned continually.— Robert C. O'Brien, Rats of NIMH

Other Words from restless

restlessly adverb
restlessness noun

restless

adjective
rest·​less | \ ˈrest-lÉ™s How to pronounce restless (audio) \

Medical Definition of restless

1 : deprived of rest or sleep the patient was restless from pain
2 : providing no rest a restless night

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More from Merriam-Webster on restless

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with restless

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for restless

Spanish Central: Translation of restless

Nglish: Translation of restless for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of restless for Arabic Speakers