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

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

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 The London trio updates the naive humanism of 2000s indie-folk with modern dread and restless experimentation on its ambitious full-length debut. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 7 July 2026 Her book is a panoramic, abundantly detailed history of a century of turmoil and restless migratory movements gravitating around El Paso. — Julia Preston, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026 Change is in the air, so channel your restless energy productively! — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 These cowboy songs were meant to soothe restless cattle during the night or break the monotony of isolation. — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 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
  • Now Gauff and her next opponent, Karolina Muchova, face off Thursday for a chance to transform their mutually uneasy relationships with the green blades beneath their feet into the biggest grass-court breakthrough of their careers.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The result is a tension stretched nearly to the snapping point, then resolved in an uneasy detente.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • Max is accompanied on his adventures by anxious robot C-3PO AB Sitter, and FX, a magical alien masquerading as a toy who can turn the kid's implausibly impressive sand sculptures into fully functioning robots.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
  • America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • But the real anger belongs to the narrator herself, who berates herself for bringing a succession of troubled men into her son’s life.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 July 2026
  • There’s also room to more deeply explore Queen Gertrude (Jodi Gage)’s role in the palace intrigue and her troubled relationship with her son.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • The film follows a man trapped inside a bar, where reality begins to unravel in increasingly disturbing ways.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • At a time when politics is so absurd and disturbing, maybe political comedy is less funny.
    — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • That should make Earth’s magnetic field more disturbed than usual, with mostly unsettled or active conditions and a chance of brief G1 geomagnetic storms.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The lack of regulation and the unsettled law surrounding prediction markets have raised serious concerns on Capitol Hill.
    — Luke Garrett, NPR, 9 July 2026
Definition of unsettled
Adjective
  • Jens Schluter | Afp | Getty Images Volkswagen's management plans to drastically reduce its model lineup and further cut capacity, although the German auto giant stopped short of announcing sweeping job cuts following tense stakeholder talks.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 10 July 2026
  • Trump is presumably referring to the deployment of NATO troops to the Nordic island in January following tense discussions with European members over Greenland's future.
    — Jamie Gray, NBC news, 9 July 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • Those who had made it to their seats sat around in the packed stadium and gradually grew restive.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
  • Iran’s new leaders are acutely aware that Iranians remain restive and expect the government to ease their economic plight.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2026
Definition of restive
Adjective
  • The looming project was why Purohit was nervous to move her mother into Silverado last winter.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • For most of the last decade the threat argument was a transatlantic one, with a nervous eastern flank pulling against a distracted west.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of nervous

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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 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on restless

Nglish: Translation of restless for Spanish Speakers

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