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
restlessly
adverb
restlessness
noun
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
The often tongue-in-cheek remark that work may be killing you—long hours, a demanding schedule, and mounds of stress resulting in restless nights—might literally be true, according to new research.
—
Trey Williams, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
But Hancock’s constantly restless artistic spirit, coupled with the 2020 pandemic shutdown, led him to reevaluate things in a major way.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
After several years of this quiet triumph, though, the team’s fans grew restless, dissatisfied.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Their abrupt arrival at Eva’s brother, who runs a veterinarian surgery, is awkward for everyone, as Eva has been silent for years, busy dragging her daughter around the world, in her restless pursuit of new adventures and relationships.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Behind them, a team of MEC employees stands at attention near promotional poster boards that keep toppling off their easels, while two armed police officers monitor the restless scene.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
That’s the kind of gummy anyone can get behind.
Bonus: nama Sleep Gummies
Having experienced many long restless nights from a high stress career, nama's founder set out to craft the perfect vegan sleep gummy.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The promising side of the CSO’s investment in Mäkelä’s appointment is that his restless energy and upward drive could be taken for its own.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
A feeling of unease in a restless nation of splintered identities and conflicting creeds.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Trey Williams, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
But Hancock’s constantly restless artistic spirit, coupled with the 2020 pandemic shutdown, led him to reevaluate things in a major way.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
After several years of this quiet triumph, though, the team’s fans grew restless, dissatisfied.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Their abrupt arrival at Eva’s brother, who runs a veterinarian surgery, is awkward for everyone, as Eva has been silent for years, busy dragging her daughter around the world, in her restless pursuit of new adventures and relationships.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Behind them, a team of MEC employees stands at attention near promotional poster boards that keep toppling off their easels, while two armed police officers monitor the restless scene.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
That’s the kind of gummy anyone can get behind.
Bonus: nama Sleep Gummies
Having experienced many long restless nights from a high stress career, nama's founder set out to craft the perfect vegan sleep gummy.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The promising side of the CSO’s investment in Mäkelä’s appointment is that his restless energy and upward drive could be taken for its own.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
A feeling of unease in a restless nation of splintered identities and conflicting creeds.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'restless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to restless
Dictionary Entries Near restless
Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restless. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
restless
adjective
rest·less
ˈrest-ləs 
1
: being without rest : giving no rest
a restless night
2
: always moving
the restless sea
3
: showing one to be uneasy
restless pacing back and forth
restlessly
adverb
restlessness
noun
Medical Definition
restless
adjective
rest·less
ˈrest-ləs
1
: deprived of rest or sleep
the patient was restless from pain
2
: providing no rest
a restless night
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