rest

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

Synonyms of rest

• relax
• bask

Examples of rest in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Americans are also increasingly cautious about where sensitive information like health data and financial records rest. —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 3 June 2026

While the Giants had a chance to spoil Harrison’s predictable revenge game, the Brewers effectively put the game to rest by scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth to create a commanding five-run lead. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 3 June 2026

Bus drivers are prohibited under federal law from driving more than 10 hours or working more than 15 hours without taking at least eight hours off to rest. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

The set includes a loveseat and two lounge chairs that create seating for up to four people, plus a matching coffee table ideal for resting drinks and appetizers, setting up a card game, or kicking up your feet. —Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing rest

• at rest
• bed rest
• come to rest
• eighth rest
• for the rest
• give it a 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)