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
One, previously restless and unsettled, discovered a love for musical theatre through a weekender’s support.
—
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
The trees were restless beyond my window and the sky looked grey and heavy with unfallen rain.
—Essence, 16 June 2025
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia, restless sleep, and daytime drowsiness, are common in people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
—Paul McClure 09, New Atlas, 9 June 2025
But the road to telling that story began with a restless boy in a quiet town, one who found escape not on the water, but in the light of screens both big and small, captivated by Steven Spielberg’s work and the classic soap opera Guiding Light.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
The trees were restless beyond my window and the sky looked grey and heavy with unfallen rain.
—Essence, 16 June 2025
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia, restless sleep, and daytime drowsiness, are common in people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
—Paul McClure 09, New Atlas, 9 June 2025
But the road to telling that story began with a restless boy in a quiet town, one who found escape not on the water, but in the light of screens both big and small, captivated by Steven Spielberg’s work and the classic soap opera Guiding Light.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for restless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restless
Adjective
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Edan Lui of Hong Kong boy band Mirror will also make his Korean drama debut in the new season, joining the cast in a role that pairs him in an uneasy alliance with Kim Do-gi.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2025
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Repeatedly returning to themes of globalization and alienation, the 55-year-old director has meticulously chronicled his country’s uneasy plunge into the 21st century as rampant industrialization risks deadening those left behind.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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But perhaps the most persuasive testimony came from Mrs. Hall herself, who embodied the defense’s portrait of a loyal, unsuspecting wife, home alone and anxious over her husband’s mysterious disappearance.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
27 June 2025
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Often, one partner, typically the more avoidant or anxious one, manages their own vulnerability by over-managing the other person.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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In the upcoming ninth season of Rehab Addict, which premieres on June 24, Curtis restores both that Wyoming home and a troubled Detroit property that had been invaded by squatters.—
Erin Clements,
People.com,
24 June 2025
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Sue has had her own troubled relationship and substance abuse issues.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Content moderators are workers who remove disturbing content from social media—data which is often then used to train AI systems like ChatGPT or Facebook’s algorithms.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
19 June 2025
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That still wasn’t as disturbing as the sight of Solène washing her feet in the crew mess sink.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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More substantively, the ideological contours of the new Resistance still feel unsettled.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
20 June 2025
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But the broader future of federal support for science remains unsettled.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Negotiations on this year’s New York City government budget are coming down to the wire — with several sticking points remaining as talks turned tense Thursday between City Council Democrats and Mayor Adams’ administration, according to sources familiar with the matter.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025
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Oof, this convo between Jay and Demetrius is tense as hell.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Soon thereafter, Russia wrested control of two restive regions of Georgia, effectively preventing the country’s accession to NATO.—
Charles Kupchan,
Foreign Affairs,
20 June 2025
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On top of that, Iran has its own restive population of some 20 million ethnic Azeris—making up perhaps as much as a quarter of the Iranian population.—
Zaur Shiriyev,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Watching his son evolve from a 4-star recruit out of Columbus High School in Miami to an eventual first-round pick out of Michigan State, Richardson doesn’t get too nervous or overly excited when Jase is on the court.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 June 2025
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But with Wirtz, there was suddenly an effort not to do that; the media got nervous about calling it a record.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restless. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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