restless

adjective

rest·​less ˈrest-ləs How to pronounce restless (audio)
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
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 dominance of nonfiction cinema at this year’s edition, meanwhile, felt indicative of a restless mood in the industry, a reluctance to turn away from a world on fire to the comforts of escapism, as artists reckon with their platform and their privilege, and how best to use them. Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Feb. 2024 But on the other hand, habituation can lead us to be unsatisfied, bored, restless, and greedy. TIME, 22 Feb. 2024 Known as the social butterfly of the zodiac, Gemini is a bit too restless and fast-paced for dreamy Pisces. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024 Alfonso reaches for symbolism, but his restless drama doesn’t earn its epiphany on the way out. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Messi, David Beckham booed during as Inter Miami in Hong Kong Fans became restless in Inter Miami’s 4-1 win over a group of Hong Kong All-Stars as the second half lingered and Messi continued to watch from the bench in Inter Miami clothes. Safid Deen, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 In the middle of restless regulators, skeptical investors, and die-hard decentralization purists, new projects are emerging that aim to find a middle ground. Victoria Chynoweth, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Much has changed since Mr. Navalny began his career as an opposition politician more than a decade ago, a charismatic figure who appealed to restless middle-class residents of Moscow and who harnessed social media to counter the corruption of President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia. Mark Landler, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Foucault and his fellow protesters are restless, their list of grievances long: soaring costs, increasing bureaucracy, new European Union regulations in its Green Deal and imports diluting their markets. Nayla Razzouk, Fortune Europe, 13 Feb. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of restless was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near restless

Cite this Entry

“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restless. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

restless

adjective
rest·​less ˈrest-ləs How to pronounce restless (audio)
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 How to pronounce restless (audio)
1
: deprived of rest or sleep
the patient was restless from pain
2
: providing no rest
a restless night

More from Merriam-Webster on restless

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