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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

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 Maybe beauty's scientists and creators were feeling particularly restless over this past year and wanted to challenge themselves. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026 Two males and one female, the cubs were restless during vaccinations. — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 For a restless brain, the quiet room doesn’t feel like leadership so much as isolation, so people slide back into admin work without really deciding to. — Chris Kille, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Two males and one female, the cubs were restless during Tuesday’s vaccination. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 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
  • An uneasy calm prevailed along the border Friday, with no new fighting reported.
    — MUNIR AHMED, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Their battles for influence, image and desire, in a Spain on the brink of collapse, are observed and narrated with fierce irony by Francisco de Goya, an uneasy witness who turns palace intrigue into a surprisingly contemporary mirror.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • Many of Martin’s clients come in feeling anxious about making the leap, unsure whether the look will suit them.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Forrest says he was pushed into thinking about climate change in the 2010s by his daughter Sophia, who was anxious about the planet’s future.
    — Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • Still, Lyon was barely troubled cruising to victory after an eighth-minute own goal by Laia Ballesté, under pressure from Dumornay, to turn a cross by Salma Paralluelo into her own net.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Set in Palm Springs, California, and seen on Broadway in 2011, the play probes a rich, powerful, troubled and Reagan-esque West Coast political family and makes much of the metaphor of the arid, infertile desert.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • While working at the Crawford home, Lowen discovers a secret manuscript containing Verity’s apparent autobiographical notes, raising disturbing questions about her past and sending her spiraling over what to believe.
    — Michaela Zee, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The development, announced Wednesday, is the latest turn in a disturbing player-health controversy that could lead to legal action.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • And Wednesday afternoon will stay unsettled at 75%, with highs in the mid-80s and lows in the upper-70s.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The unsettled first act, full of false starts, feels like an early draft of the play.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of unsettled
Adjective
  • Passengers described a tense scene aboard the aircraft as the emergency unfolded.
    — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The audio was then used to accentuate tense scenes featuring astronauts Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood).
    — Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • Pakistani security forces killed five militants in an intense shootout and freed 23 hostages in the country’s restive southwest, the military said Sunday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Midterm elections are historically challenging for a president’s party as restive voters seek change.
    — Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of restive
Adjective
  • But Democrats are arguing that Trump is going to red states like Alabama because Republicans are nervous.
    — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The admittedly nervous executive started Monday’s news conferences by apologizing to the Clippers’ faithful for the aftermath of the Leonard situation.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 28 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 2 Oct. 2026.

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