inquietude
Americannoun
-
restlessness or uneasiness; disquietude.
-
inquietudes, disquieting thoughts.
beset by myriad inquietudes.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of inquietude
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Late Latin word inquiētūdō. See in- 3, quietude
Explanation
When you feel upset, restless, or anxious, you have a sense of inquietude. If you're worried about a friend driving home in the snow, your inquietude won't let you relax until you hear that she's arrived safely. The feelings of unease or fretfulness that go along with inquietude might come from a fear of heights, worry about someone you love, or general anxiety. This noun comes from the Latin inquietus, "not quiet." Interestingly, the adjective version of this word isn't inquiet, which isn't a real word — instead it's unquiet, meaning "restless or anxious."
Vocabulary lists containing inquietude
An American Plague
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George Washington's First Inaugural Address
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Candide
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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.
“I’ve always had that inner inquietude, that kind of yearning for equality and for justice and for eliminating any kind of prejudices and racism and colorism, which is very prevalent in Mexico,” she explained.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025
If you’re prone to inquietude, on the other hand, I have good news: A majority of the court appeared apprehensive about rolling back marriage equality.
From Slate • Mar. 1, 2017
Emily was anxious; the father said, with a shade of inquietude: "You've overdone it—it is very foolish."
From The White Peacock by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
The sources of my inquietude were incomprehensible to her.
From Ormond, Volume III (of 3) or, The Secret Witness by Brown, Charles Brockden
This prognostic filled him with the deepest inquietude, and all the reasonings of his daughter were insufficient to appease him.
From Ormond, Volume II (of 3) or, The Secret Witness by Brown, Charles Brockden
Definitions 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.
