restless
Americanadjective
-
characterized by or showing inability to remain at rest.
a restless mood.
-
unquiet or uneasy, as a person, the mind, or the heart.
-
never at rest; perpetually agitated or in motion.
the restless sea.
-
without rest; without restful sleep.
a restless night.
-
unceasingly active; averse to quiet or inaction, as persons.
a restless crowd.
adjective
-
unable to stay still or quiet
-
ceaselessly active or moving
the restless wind
-
worried; anxious; uneasy
-
not restful; without repose
a restless night
Other Word Forms
- restlessly adverb
- restlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of restless
First recorded before before 1000; Middle English restles, Old English restlēas; rest 1, -less
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.
Unlike restless Nora, Agnes is married with a son, able to view her deeply flawed dad from the vantage point of both a daughter and mother.
From Los Angeles Times
Endlessly inventive and musically restless, their songs are given focus by Winter's sharp unfiltered lyrics, cutting through superficial relationships, state propaganda, and social divisions.
From BBC
After four months of restless waiting, filmmaker Kiwi Chow received a dreaded, but not altogether unexpected, message: Hong Kong censors had banned his new movie from reaching the big screen.
From Barron's
I came to know him differently: as a restless thinker who transformed his own life story into bold public policy, reshaping how California understands and invests in its youngest children.
From Los Angeles Times
Tilt Reiner’s filmography one way and it appears to be all about opposition, a restless yen to zag when others assumed he’d zig.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
