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 Set in 1988, this new installment follows a family who leaves Jakarta for Bandung in search of a fresh start, only to be terrorized by the restless spirit of a young girl and her doll, Ghawiah. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 Our expert Mark Knapp, in his review, called the Sleep A30 earbuds a worthwhile device for restless sleepers, thanks to their strong noise-cancelling tech. — Carlos Mejia, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026 Created in 1958, the ballet felt unmistakably New York in its sound, its street clothes, its restless young people, its particular brand of cool. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 But just like other Caribbean giants such as Puerto Rico’s Ismael Rivera and the Dominican Republic’s Johnny Ventura, Sparrow’s restless creative persona transcended the limits of the dance genres that blossomed around him. — Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 28 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 quiet took over the boat as customers waited for another catch.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Republican candidates are facing voters uneasy, even angry about high prices and an unpopular war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • An adorable pup in Louisiana was anxious to swim into rising Gulf of Mexico waters, doing a stationary doggie paddle while being carried through a flood during Hurricane Isaias.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Down at Advanced Base Camp on the Tibetan side, the anxious Indian team could see two headlamps light up their descent high on the mountain.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • Morales recalled overhearing Ramirez on the phone in January confiding in someone about her troubled relationship.
    — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Still, the concern extends beyond political disagreement for the anonymous worker who left the troubled Livingston production behind.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • Even when the metaphor is painfully on the nose, the film’s most disturbing images are more than their dramatic limitations and a whale is still an astonishing place to spend a movie.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • When her aunt Helena and paralyzed grandmother Regina arrive, the fragile boundaries between everyday life, ancestral superstition and Trina’s increasingly disturbing nightmares begin to collapse.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Though their eligibility battles remain unsettled, both players took part in Thursday’s 45-minute open practice at Allen Fieldhouse as full-fledged members of KU’s 2026-27 team.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The unsettled part is what that answer still permits anyone to ask.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsettled
Adjective
  • Kushner has defended his private sector connections as having enabled the United States to gain leverage and breakthroughs in tense negotiations.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge, played by Rory Kinnear, reveals the news to Hal Wyler, Vice President of the United States, played by Rufus Sewell, in a rather tense meeting in London.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 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
  • Any agency whose main product is activity rather than thinking should be very nervous right now; frankly, some of them should have been nervous years ago.
    — Angelica Kopec, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Consumers in the country, nervous about the shaky economy, are loading up on gold jewelry, bars and coins.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 12 Oct. 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 16 Oct. 2026.

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