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

Stability, analysts say, can breed its own restlessness - particularly among younger voters less invested in legacy narratives and more drawn to renewal.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

By filtering such a common feeling through a strange and delightfully unsettling narrative lens, “By Design” contends with our modern restlessness in far more memorable fashion than many big-budget, big-idea films of the last year.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

Each configuration seems contingent, not fixed, as if in a process of perpetual transition driven by some invisible force—tectonic restlessness or a growth hormone, say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 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

The rest of the crew waited, some of them crying from restlessness, depression, or anxiety.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

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