restlessness
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
perpetual movement.
Growing up on the coast of Sydney as he did, his music is influenced by the restlessness of the ocean.
Etymology
Origin of restlessness
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To me, the many-voiced story of the expedition is a testament to human restlessness and perseverance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
"When access is disrupted, some young people may initially experience irritability, restlessness, or a sense of social disconnection… not because the platform itself is essential, but because a familiar coping mechanism has been removed."
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026
His restlessness, be it musical, culinary or otherwise cultural, took him to San Francisco and New York.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
Depression was assessed through a questionnaire asking about depressed mood, disinterest, restlessness or lethargy during the previous two weeks.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 17, 2025
They were all kinds of men—literate men and ignorant men, clean men and dirty men—but all of them had restlessness in common.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
