rest

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈrest 

1

: repose, sleep

specifically : a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities

2

a

: freedom from activity or labor

a 10-minute rest period

needed some rest and relaxation

b

: absence of motion

an object in a state of rest

c

: the repose of death

3

a

: a place for resting or lodging

found their rest under a shade tree

b

: a place for stopping or breathing (such as a landing between flights of a staircase)

4

: peace of mind or spirit

5

a(1)

: a rhythmic silence in music

(2)

: a character representing such a silence

b

: a brief pause in reading

6

: something used for support

a knife/spoon rest

see also armrest, footrest

Illustration of rest

• 1 whole
• 2 half
• 3 quarter
• 4 eighth
• 5 sixteenth

rest

2 of 4

verb

rested; resting; rests

intransitive verb

1

a

: to get rest by lying down

especially : sleep

b

: to lie dead

2

: to cease from action or motion : refrain from labor or exertion

needed some time to rest

3

: to be free from anxiety or disturbance

4

: to sit or lie fixed or supported

a column rests on its pedestal

5

a

: to remain confident : trust

cannot rest on that assumption

b

: to be based or founded

the verdict rested on several sound precedents

6

: to remain for action or accomplishment

the answer rests with you

7

of farmland : to remain idle or uncropped

8

: to bring to an end voluntarily the introduction of evidence in a law case

The defense rests.

transitive verb

1

: to give rest to

rested the horses by the stream

You should rest your eyes.

2

: to set at rest

Rest yourself by the fire.

3

: to place on or against a support

rested the bike in the stand

4

: to cause to be firmly fixed

rested all hope in his child

5

: to desist voluntarily from presenting evidence pertinent to (a case at law)

rester noun

rest

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a projection or attachment on the side of the breastplate of medieval armor for supporting the butt of a lance

rest

4 of 4

noun (3)

: something that remains over : remainder

ate the rest of the candy

Phrases

at rest

1

: resting or reposing especially in sleep or death

2

: quiescent, motionless

3

: free of anxieties

come to rest

: to stop moving

give it a rest

informal

—used to tell someone to stop talking about something

lay to rest

: to bury (someone who has died)

for the rest

: with regard to remaining issues or needs

Synonyms of rest

Noun (1)

• relaxation
• resting
• leisure

Verb

• relax
• bask

Noun (3)

• remainder

Examples of rest in a Sentence

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

Noun

The principle of relativity would later show up in Newton’s work as his first law of motion, where an object at rest would remain at rest and an object in motion would remain in constant motion, and would do so forever, unless and until either of them was acted upon by an outside (net) force. —Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025

That is empowering — better rest is in your control. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025

Verb

Some 845,000 hectares of pasturelands are resting and recovering from overgrazing while herding communities transform shorn cashmere into sustainable fiber for luxury markets. —Kaveh Zahedi, Time, 3 Nov. 2025

Lawyers for the teacher, Abby Zwerner, rested their case last week, and the defense rested Monday. —Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025

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

Verb

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

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rest

• bed rest
• eighth rest
• for the rest
• give (something) a rest
• half rest
• lay/put (something) to rest
• lay (someone) to rest
• lay to rest
• let (something) rest
• quarter rest
• rest and relaxation
• rest area
• rest assured
• rest easy
• rest home
• rest house
• rest in peace
• rest mass
• rest on/upon
• rest/sit on one's laurels
• rest stop
• rest with
• set/put someone's mind at ease/rest
• set/put your mind at ease/rest
• sixteenth rest
• sixty-fourth rest
• the rest
• the rest is history
• the rest of the world
• thirty-second rest
• whole rest

Rhymes for rest

• blessed
• blest
• breast
• chest
• crest
• dressed
• fest
• gest
• geste
• guessed
• jest
• lest

Kids Definition

rest

1 of 3 noun

ˈrest 

1

: sleep entry 1 sense 1

2

a

: freedom from activity

b

: a state marked by lack of motion or activity

3

: a place for resting or lodging

4

a

: a silence in music equal in time to a note of the same name

b

: a character standing for such a silence

5

: something used for support

a head rest

rest

2 of 3 verb

1

a

: to get rest by lying down : sleep

b

: to give rest to

c

: to lie dead

2

: to not take part in work or activity

3

: to be free from anxiety or disturbance

4

: to place or be placed for or as if for support

5

a

: to be based or founded

b

: to fix or be fixed in hope or confidence

rested their hopes on their children

6

: to stop presenting evidence in a law case

the defense rests

rest

3 of 3 noun

: something that is left over or behind : remainder

ate the rest of the soup

Medical Definition

rest

1 of 3 noun

ˈrest 

1

: a state of repose or sleep see bed rest

2

: cessation or temporary interruption of motion, exertion, or labor

rest from hard physical effort

a ten-minute rest period

3

: a bodily state (as that attained by a fasting individual lying supine) characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities

the patient must have complete rest

4

: the part of a partial denture that rests on an abutment tooth, distributes stresses, and holds the clasp in position

5

: a firm but moldable cushion used to raise or support a portion of the body during surgery

a kidney rest

rest

2 of 3 intransitive verb

1

: to get rest by lying down

especially : sleep

2

: to cease from action or motion : refrain from labor or exertion

transitive verb

: to give rest to

rest your eyes

rest

3 of 3 noun

: a mass of surviving embryonic cells or of cells misplaced in development

most tumors derived from embryonic rests are benign

—Shields Warren

Legal Definition

rest

intransitive verb

: to bring to an end voluntarily the introduction of evidence in a case

the defense rests

transitive verb

: to cease presenting evidence pertinent to (a case)