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View synonyms for restless

restless

[ rest-lis ]

adjective

  1. characterized by or showing inability to remain at rest:

    a restless mood.

    Synonyms: fretful, agitated, restive

  2. unquiet or uneasy, as a person, the mind, or the heart.

    Synonyms: fretful, agitated, restive

  3. never at rest; perpetually agitated or in motion:

    the restless sea.

    Synonyms: fretful, agitated, restive

  4. without rest; without restful sleep:

    a restless night.

  5. unceasingly active; averse to quiet or inaction, as persons:

    a restless crowd.



restless

/ ˈrɛstlɪs /

adjective

  1. unable to stay still or quiet
  2. ceaselessly active or moving

    the restless wind

  3. worried; anxious; uneasy
  4. not restful; without repose

    a restless night



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Derived Forms

  • ˈrestlessly, adverb
  • ˈrestlessness, noun

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Other Words From

  • rest·less·ly adverb
  • rest·less·ness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of restless1

First recorded before before 1000; Middle English restles, Old English restlēas; rest 1, -less

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Example Sentences

I’ve frequently wondered—during restless nights and uncomfortable days, when sitting, standing, and sleeping hurt—if I ruined my body forever by using it too hard thru-hiking.

I planned to use that sweet-savory treat as an enticement to keep them moving as soon as they started to act restless.

She was “restless, impatient, ambitious” but had no clear path forward.

It evolved into a local search purveyor but after adoption plateaued and investors grew restless, the company pivoted to location intelligence.

True to his restless, improvement-seeking nature, he has lately become excited about a collaboration with Friedman and Paul Blainey of the Broad Institute that repurposes a nanofluidics chip Blainey built for high-throughput drug screening.

Rubenstein was 31 years old when he left the White House, and he was restless to make his mark.

By the time the Royals came to town in 1969, my father was growing restless.

The tenor saxophonist was one of the most imaginatively restless artists to ever work a bandstand.

Some Upper East Side natives are getting restless about outside perceptions.

But even without help from a restless tectonic plate, folks in the Napa Valley get easily agitated.

He grew very restless, for it was a long time before Grandfather Mole appeared.

When the short-skirted, gossamer clad nymphs made their appearance on the stage they became restless and fidgety.

The moon was coming up, and its mystic shimmer was casting a million lights across the distant, restless water.

Never had Tom seen his gay and careless cousin in such guise: he was restless, silent, intense and inarticulate.

The Belmont house was closed, the still restless Helena occupying a palace in Rome at the moment.

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restiverestless cavy