Noun (1)
the coming weekend will provide some much needed rest
after a long day, I lay down on the couch for a little rest before dinner Verb
We will not rest until we discover the truth.
The workers were resting in the shade.
He is resting comfortably after his ordeal.
She went to her room to rest for a while.
The coach canceled practice to rest his team.
He rested his horse before continuing the journey.
You should rest your eyes after all that reading.
The pitcher needs to rest his arm.
The spoon was resting in the cup.
The house rests on a concrete foundation. Noun (3)
can you hand me the rest of those papers?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
An in-use wiping cloth should still be wet and somewhat clean from being in a sanitizing solution when at rest.—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025 Without a body to put to rest, even when there is no other logical conclusion than death, people can imagine and cling to the most improbable of alternatives.—Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Their Classic Stir Fry Sauce rests on a salty (but not too salty) backbone of tamari, warmth from garlic and ginger, nuttiness from sesame oil, a touch of sweetness from agave, plus mushroom powder for umami.—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025 While the Armani Group has kept details of the funeral under wraps, local papers report the designer will be laid to rest in the family chapel next to his parents and older brother Sergio, who died in 1985.—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rest
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German rasta rest and perhaps to Old High German ruowa calm
Noun (2)
Middle English reste, literally, stoppage, short for areste, from Anglo-French arest, from arester to arrest
Noun (3)
Middle English, from Anglo-French reste, from rester to remain, from Latin restare, from re- + stare to stand — more at stand
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Share