restful
Americanadjective
-
giving or conducive to rest.
- Antonyms:
- disturbing
-
being at rest; quiet; tranquil; peaceful.
- Synonyms:
- undisturbed, serene, calm
- Antonyms:
- agitated
adjective
-
giving or conducive to rest
-
being at rest; tranquil; calm
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of restful
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at rest 1, -ful
Explanation
Something that's restful soothes you or helps you to relax. At the end of a long, busy day, a hot bath can be restful. Chasing your three year-old cousin around a playground in the hot sun for an hour isn't particularly restful, but you might follow that up with a restful nap in a comfortable hammock. Anything peaceful and quiet is restful. The word adds the suffix -ful, "full of" or "characterized by," to rest, which comes from a Germanic root meaning "rest, repose, or peace."
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.
Three years on, Novack and Aggrey’s garden has become an aromatic, restful ode to Southern California’s coastal chaparral plant community.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
In transforming the nocturne into “an evocation of the restful character of evening,” Field endowed it with an intimate tone that appealed to Romantic sensibilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
Focusing on one or two places may create a more restful vacation.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 9, 2026
The caption read: "Wishing Mothers everywhere, and those who might be missing their Mums today, a restful Mothering Sunday".
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026
That didn’t leave much time for restful sleep; instead, guinea pigs like Gulliver slept in fits and starts, in fifteen-minute intervals.
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
