RESTLESSNESS Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

restlessness

noun

Definition of restlessness

as in turmoil

a disturbed or uneasy state the restlessness of the crowd was apparent as it waited to learn whether the football player was seriously injured

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in boredom

the state of being bored she began to pick at the grass near her hammock out of sheer restlessness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 restlessness That same day, the moon will reach its first quarter phase in Sagittarius, bringing an air of restlessness and expansion, encouraging us to stop overthinking and finally take a leap of faith. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Anwar Hussein There was a restlessness to Diana’s movements in those summer months. — Allie Merriam, Vanity Fair, 1 Sep. 2026 Leaving out the outrageous persona, the eye-grabbing iconography, and the sizzling live shows, his musical restlessness and playfulness generated albums that were and are appointment listening. — Michaelangelo Matos, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026 He’s never settled into a particular genre and, perhaps due to that wide-ranging restlessness, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be awarding him an honorary Oscar in November. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Tisch went to law school, eventually landing (with some restlessness) in real estate finance at Vornado Realty Trust and then at information services company KGB. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 For movement issues, a mattress with better motion isolation can make a partner’s restlessness far less noticeable. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026 Symptoms Symptoms can include sleeplessness, extreme worry about the baby or childbirth, restlessness and a racing heartbeat. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Shares in Lionsgate extended their losses Wednesday after an activist investor expressed restlessness with the company’s stance on AI. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for restlessness

Noun

Syria’s leaders are now positioning the country to benefit from a resurgence of regional turmoil.

— Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Geopolitical turmoil, including war in the Middle East and US import tariffs, has brought urgency to an issue Icelanders have debated on and off for decades.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of turmoil

Noun

That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, also came at a fraught moment for the country, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the war in Vietnam bitterly divided Americans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, came at a fraught moment for the country, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the Vietnam War bitterly divided Americans.

— Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of unrest

Noun

The 100-meter sprint in Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval brought together the world’s fastest runners, hurtling along at breakneck speed to shrieks of excitement from a captivated crowd.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
But as the excitement for launch built, and the days until Roman's launch dwindled, excitement over the possibility of a solar transit spread among the photojournalists at KSC.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of excitement

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restless

restlessness

restoral

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“Restlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restlessness. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of restlessness

noun

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