at rest
Idioms-
In a state of inactivity or repose, either physical or mental. For example, The doctor's clear explanation put her mind at rest . Chaucer used this idiom in Troilus and Cressida (c. 1374): “I mine heart set at rest upon this point.” Also see lay at rest .
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Dead, as in His soul is now at rest with his forebears . This usage, employing rest to refer to death's repose, is less common today. [1300s]
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.
Panettiere reacted angrily and considered a legal battle to keep their daughter, but eventually agreed because she accepted that her daughter Kaya "needed to feel at rest, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Whether you’re out and about or at rest, please don’t put your smartphones down.”
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
Using multiomics tools that track genes, proteins, metabolites, and gut bacteria, the scientists compared the body at rest, after a single 5 km run, and after a 25-day running program.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2025
On past bike tours, we often cut discussions short with strangers who approached us at rest stops.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2025
We drew ourselves out of the river and lay for a moment at rest.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
