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restless

adjective

ˈrest-ləs How to pronounce restless (audio)
Definition of restlessnext
1
as in uneasy
lacking or denying rest the worried mother spent a restless night, tossing and turning in bed for hours

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of restless His supervisor, Bernard Romein, encouraged the restless youth to stay in school and helped open his mind to the world of art. — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 The holdout The crowds of journalists and spectators became increasingly restless throughout the days of deliberations, testing the patience of staff at the Plymouth trial courthouse, a pristine legal complex surrounded by quiet fields and farmland. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 What prompted the restless night was the Aggies converting 10 of 17 third-down plays (Trey Hedden connected on nine straight third-down pass plays). — Bob Ferrante, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026 Turner played a restless man drafted into the British Army in the years after World War II. — L. Sue Baugh, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for restless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restless
  1. uneasy
  2. anxious
  3. troubled
  4. disturbing
  5. unsettled
  6. tense
  7. restive
  8. nervous
Adjective
  • Sam Altman is leading OpenAI through perhaps the most consequential—and uneasy—moment in artificial intelligence yet.
    — Fortune Editors, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In a desperate race against time, Rosalind and Sean are forced into an uneasy alliance, fighting to save her husband and expose a global trafficking empire that eliminates anyone who tries to stop it.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • That feels very much in tune with the anxious characters Eisenberg has played over the course of his acting career, but this whole directing thing is working out nicely for him, too.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Nelson remembers hushing her foster children back to sleep that night and calling 911, anxious for an end to those sleepless nights.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In the last decade Germany has sheltered millions of refugees, mainly from Syria and other troubled countries in the Middle East.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • More than a month after Perez Hilton appeared in a disturbing livestream appearing to engage in acts of self-harm at this Miami-area home, his family is addressing the rumor mill.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • As tensions rise and boundaries begin to blur, their grandmother’s frail presence takes on an increasingly disturbing quality, turning a once-idyllic summer into a haunting passage into adulthood.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • The greatest threat of unsettled weather is expected Saturday, NWS forecaster Justin Lane said.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The unsettled partisan lines around this issue have allowed anger, rooted in decades of deindustrialization and public austerity, to flourish in the electorate.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsettled
Adjective
  • Ties between Kosovo and Serbia remain tense, despite years of negotiations mediated by the European Union and supported by the United States.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026
  • This also enabled Laporta to improve his previously tense relationship with UEFA and its president, Aleksander Ceferin.
    — Pol Ballús, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • Midterm elections are historically challenging for a president’s party as restive voters seek change.
    — Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Pakistani security forces killed 48 militants in a series of raids on hideouts in the country's restive southwest over the past 72 hours, the military said Friday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of restive
Adjective
  • One grandmother initially didn’t understand what the couple was asking, while two were a little nervous about taking on a role traditionally given to children.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But one area that has Chiefs fans a little nervous is the offensive line that will be tasked with keeping Mahomes upright.
    — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of nervous

Browse Nearby Words

restiveness
restless
restlessness
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Cite this Entry

“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restless. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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