restlessness

American  

[rest-lis-nis] / ˈrɛst lɪs nɪs /

noun

1. the inability to remain still or at rest, or a mood characterized by this.

   To overcome younger students’ restlessness and anxiety, one expert suggests class routines, role play activities, and other calming exercises.

2. the fact of being unable to sleep or find a comfortable position in which to sleep.

   I haven't been sleeping so well lately—a mix of restlessness and staying up too late watching movies.

3. discontent or dissatisfaction that drives one to keep looking for solutions, alternatives, or new things.

   We are incomplete beings yearning to be made whole, dogged by a sense of unease and restlessness.

4. perpetual movement.

   Growing up on the coast of Sydney as he did, his music is influenced by the restlessness of the ocean.

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Etymology

Origin of restlessness

restless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

Recent rainstorms in the San Bernardino Mountains brought both reprieve, melting off much of the snow that had stranded some residents for weeks, and restlessness, setting off minor flooding and rockslides.

From Los Angeles Times

The new leader must also wrestle with restlessness in their party — and in the wider independence movement — about independence.

From BBC

There’s a jet-black comedy of grief fidgeting in the wings, but the movie has neither the thorniness nor the emotional restlessness to access it.

From New York Times

He had recognized early on that high youth unemployment during summer months was a fairly accurate predictor of increased juvenile crime and restlessness.

From Washington Post

You can sense Bartlett’s restlessness in the way she colors outside the lines and allows mistakes to edge in.

From New York Times

Related Words

• agitation
• anxiety
• disquiet
• ferment
• insomnia
• instability
• jitters
• nervousness
• uneasiness