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 Two types of wearables are competing for the same restless shopper. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 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 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
  • There’s also reassuring initial bite at the top of the travel, yet the setup doesn’t feel grabby or overly anxious in everyday driving situations.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Gong’s collection followed the emotional arc of unrequited love, from the first spark and the anxious wait to the social-media sleuthing, a date, and the sudden disappearance that follows.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • Super Micro Computer, the troubled hardware ally of Nvidia and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has finally hired a new head of finance.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Actor Ryan Eggold made an appearance reprising his role as Matt Riley, the troubled brother of Detective Vincent Riley, showing up in court and wanting justice for his brother’s death.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 15 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
  • The opening-night depth chart remains unsettled, and Brown’s return will make the competition more complicated.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Chance of showers, thunderstorms increases Thursday Our weather pattern becomes more unsettled as the upper-level trough advances eastward.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 12 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

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 20 Oct. 2026.

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