unrest

noun

un·​rest ˌən-ˈrest 

: a disturbed, uneasy, or turbulent state : turmoil

The country has experienced years of civil/social/political unrest.

Synonyms of unrest

• turmoil

Examples of unrest in a Sentence

The country has experienced years of civil unrest.

unrest gripped the city as the people nervously awaited the expected bombardment

Recent Examples on the Web

Bush and Bell both honed their leadership skills in Ferguson amid the racial unrest that followed the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in 2014. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Aside from social media posts complaining about the war’s fallout and some grumbling from oligarchs about the Kremlin seizing their assets, there are still no signs of any widespread popular unrest against Vladimir Putin’s regime. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026

But China’s government has kept pushing firms to produce, partly out of fear that rising unemployment could fuel unrest. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

The labor unrest had also followed a four-day strike by flight attendants last August at larger rival Air Canada that stranded half a million passengers. — Reuters, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unrest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

unrest

noun

un·​rest ˌən-ˈrest 

ˈən-

: lack of rest : a disturbed or uneasy state : turmoil