rest

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈrest 

1

: repose, sleep

specifically : a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities

2

a

: freedom from activity or labor

b

: a state of motionlessness or inactivity

c

: the repose of death

3

: a place for resting or lodging

4

: peace of mind or spirit

5

a(1)

: a rhythmic silence in music

(2)

: a character representing such a silence

b

: a brief pause in reading

6

: something used for support

Illustration of rest

• 1 whole
• 2 half
• 3 quarter
• 4 eighth
• 5 sixteenth

rest

2 of 4

verb

rested; resting; rests

intransitive verb

1

a

: to get rest by lying down

especially : sleep

b

: to lie dead

2

: to cease from action or motion : refrain from labor or exertion

3

: to be free from anxiety or disturbance

4

: to sit or lie fixed or supported

a column rests on its pedestal

5

a

: to remain confident : trust

cannot rest on that assumption

b

: to be based or founded

the verdict rested on several sound precedents

6

: to remain for action or accomplishment

the answer rests with you

7

of farmland : to remain idle or uncropped

8

: to bring to an end voluntarily the introduction of evidence in a law case

transitive verb

1

: to give rest to

2

: to set at rest

3

: to place on or against a support

4

: to cause to be firmly fixed

rested all hope in his child

5

: to desist voluntarily from presenting evidence pertinent to (a case at law)

rester noun

rest

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a projection or attachment on the side of the breastplate of medieval armor for supporting the butt of a lance

rest

4 of 4

noun (3)

: something that remains over : remainder

ate the rest of the candy

Phrases

at rest

1

: resting or reposing especially in sleep or death

2

: quiescent, motionless

3

: free of anxieties

for the rest

: with regard to remaining issues or needs

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• decompression
• ease
• leisure
• relaxation
• repose

Verb

• bask
• kick back
• loll
• lounge
• relax
• repose

Noun (3)

• balance
• leavings
• leftovers
• odds and ends
• remainder
• remains
• remnant
• residue
• residuum

Examples of rest in a Sentence

Verb

We will not rest until we discover the truth.

The workers were resting in the shade.

He is resting comfortably after his ordeal.

She went to her room to rest for a while.

The coach canceled practice to rest his team.

He rested his horse before continuing the journey.

You should rest your eyes after all that reading.

The pitcher needs to rest his arm.

The spoon was resting in the cup.

The house rests on a concrete foundation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Also, prioritize rest and nutrition above all things. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 11 Apr. 2024

Jessica Simpson is getting some rest and relaxation with her family in Cabo. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024

Golden State always looks to steal him extra rest in blowouts and is open to sitting him for a game if the medical staff determines that’s the best course, but until a higher play-in seed is unattainable, that seems unlikely. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

And as the truck came to a rest, its tank settled downhill, next to the water. —Bill Chappell, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024

Over the last several years, as Roberts noted, the Dodgers have increasingly prioritized starting pitcher rest. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

India's superrich eclipse rest of country Despite the lower profile of India's 1% internationally, the group is still wealthier than its counterparts in the United States or European countries when comparing to the wealth of the rest of the nation. —Katharina Buchholz, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Instead, getting plenty of rest and fluids, avoiding spicy or acidic foods, and taking over-the-counter pain meds like acetaminophen and ibuprofen to lessen the discomfort are all that's usually needed. —Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024

Even before Daylight Saving Time came along, springing our clocks forward in time and throwing off rest schedules, the artist was having a hard time catching as many ZZZs as possible. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 28 Mar. 2024

Verb

This approach is reflected in her space’s clean, calming, somewhat Brutalist interior design — a mirror resting on cinder blocks, gray everywhere — the look of which took inspiration from artists’ lofts and Le Corbusier, the Swiss French architect who died in 1965. —Devorah Lev-Tov Kin Woo Ella Riley-Adams Jameson Montgomery Kurt Soller Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

The Panthers, who rested defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Tuesday, have two key injury concerns. —Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

In one sweet photo, Bowman Jr. wears a brown zip-up sweater and holds Noa, who rests in his arms. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024

Large trees, shrubs and gardens help provide hummingbirds with not only food but also a sense of protection and a place for resting in between meals. —Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024

For the whole family, their Hillsboro visit is a time to rest and enjoy the festivities. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024

The park, which was formerly known as Patrick’s Point, was renamed in 2021 as part of the California State Parks’ Reexamining our Past Initiative to honor the Yurok people on whose land the park rests. —Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024

The best part: every person could rest assured that their stay used 70 percent less water consumption than staying at an average hotel. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024

She can often be seen resting in the exhibit or exploring slowly. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German rasta rest and perhaps to Old High German ruowa calm

Noun (2)

Middle English reste, literally, stoppage, short for areste, from Anglo-French arest, from arester to arrest

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Anglo-French reste, from rester to remain, from Latin restare, from re- + stare to stand — more at stand

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rest

• at rest
• bed rest
• eighth rest
• come to rest
• half rest
• give it a rest
• give (something) a rest
• lay/put (something) to rest
• rest stop
• lay (someone) to rest
• rest with
• the rest
• sixty-fourth rest
• sixteenth rest
• the rest is history
• set/put someone's mind at ease/rest
• the rest of the world
• thirty-second rest
• whole rest
• let (something) rest
• rest area
• rest home
• rest easy
• rest house
• quarter rest
• rest/sit on one's laurels
• rest in peace
• rest mass
• rest on/upon
• for the rest
• rest assured

Kids Definition

rest

1 of 3 noun

ˈrest 

1

: sleep entry 1 sense 1

2

a

: freedom from activity

b

: a state marked by lack of motion or activity

3

: a place for resting or lodging

4

a

: a silence in music equal in time to a note of the same name

b

: a character standing for such a silence

5

: something used for support

a head rest

rest

2 of 3 verb

1

a

: to get rest by lying down : sleep

b

: to give rest to

c

: to lie dead

2

: to not take part in work or activity

3

: to be free from anxiety or disturbance

4

: to place or be placed for or as if for support

5

a

: to be based or founded

b

: to fix or be fixed in hope or confidence

rested their hopes on their children

6

: to stop presenting evidence in a law case

the defense rests

rest

3 of 3 noun

: something that is left over or behind : remainder

ate the rest of the soup

Medical Definition

rest

1 of 3 noun

ˈrest 

1

: a state of repose or sleep see bed rest

2

: cessation or temporary interruption of motion, exertion, or labor

rest from hard physical effort

a ten-minute rest period

3

: a bodily state (as that attained by a fasting individual lying supine) characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities

the patient must have complete rest

4

: the part of a partial denture that rests on an abutment tooth, distributes stresses, and holds the clasp in position

5

: a firm but moldable cushion used to raise or support a portion of the body during surgery

a kidney rest

rest

2 of 3 intransitive verb

1

: to get rest by lying down

especially : sleep

2

: to cease from action or motion : refrain from labor or exertion

transitive verb

: to give rest to

rest your eyes

rest

3 of 3 noun

: a mass of surviving embryonic cells or of cells misplaced in development

most tumors derived from embryonic rests are benign

—Shields Warren

Legal Definition

rest

intransitive verb

: to bring to an end voluntarily the introduction of evidence in a case

the defense rests

transitive verb

: to cease presenting evidence pertinent to (a case)