1
as in uneasy
lacking or denying rest
the worried mother spent a restless night, tossing and turning in bed for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anxious
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the figure skater was visibly restless as she waited for her scores to be posted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restless
There is no bitterness or cynicism in this progression, just a restless questing.
—
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Louis had been in a restless mood, though melted hearts all the same, while Charlotte felt the need to introduce some etiquette as the pair sat one row in front of then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Better to wait the performance out, to hope the protesters would get restless and give up.
—Clare Sestanovich, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Life was full and busy, but beneath the surface, Nancy was restless.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Louis had been in a restless mood, though melted hearts all the same, while Charlotte felt the need to introduce some etiquette as the pair sat one row in front of then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Better to wait the performance out, to hope the protesters would get restless and give up.
—Clare Sestanovich, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Life was full and busy, but beneath the surface, Nancy was restless.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restless
Adjective
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Pico’s other headsets are not sold in North America and ByteDance and the Trump administration have an uneasy relationship at best.—
Chris Morris,
Fortune,
15 July 2025
-
The carpenters’ stance has created a split in the labor movement that makes lawmakers uneasy and sometimes spills into public view.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
With Iran and its proxies diminished and Gulf states anxious to diversify their economies, any prospect for broader peace and normalization runs through Riyadh.—
Edward Felsenthal,
Time,
23 July 2025
-
This is their first major sit-down interview together, and both are a bit anxious.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Russia has admitted that the fate of its sole aircraft carrier, the troubled Admiral Kuznetsov, is most likely either the scrapyard or an unlikely sale to another country.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
The resort, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, is at the center of Kim’s push to boost tourism to improve his country’s troubled economy.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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This is a disturbing statistic and speaks to an increase in the total number of people defacing themselves, but also a rise in the amount of ink per person.—
Scott Liftman,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
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The board of the Regional Transportation Authority met Friday to discuss ways to respond to the cut, striking a note of optimism to counter the disturbing prediction for Tri-Rail’s future.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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The wide receiver group remains unsettled, but Boutte is doing something right to earn the opportunities he’s been given so far.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
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At the federal level, the regulatory environment for EWA companies remains unsettled.—
AJ Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Trump's trade deals with many countries—perhaps most notably China and the European Union—remain in tense negotiations, each one potentially affecting their manufacturing costs.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
22 July 2025
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One client shared how a simple practice of pausing to name their emotion before responding in a tense board meeting helped de-escalate conflict and steer the conversation toward collaboration.—
Maureen Metcalf,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Iranian experts have long urged successive U.S. administrations to provide strike pay and other forms of aid to restive workers in the Islamic Republic, with a view to improving human rights and causing regime change from within.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
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Some of the richest Gulf Arab countries, such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, will worry that the destabilizing effects of a heavy-handed regime change could stir their own sizable and restive Shia Muslim populations.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Despite more than 50 years in show business – running the gamut of Broadway, TV and film − Martin Short refreshingly still feels nervous ahead of hosting his first game show.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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All 11 brought home at least one full point in Rome, the result of their talent but also of a cohesive approach where veteran Justin Rose was willing to be paired with nervous rookie Robert MacIntyre in fourball and sit the foursomes sessions.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restless. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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