restlessness

[rest-lis-nis]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of restlessness¹

restless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

As the day of the full moon dawned and blossomed, her restlessness turned into something more, well, cowlike.

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Depression was assessed through a questionnaire asking about depressed mood, disinterest, restlessness or lethargy during the previous two weeks.

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In this refined analysis, early benefits were seen in feelings of sadness, self-criticism, restlessness, and suicidal ideation.

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I’ve got no evidence for Trier’s restlessness other than an observation that “Sentimental Value” is most vibrant when the dialogue is snide and the visuals are snappy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The up-tempo tune depicts life growing up in a dreary community bereft of imagination or spirit and hammers home the record’s emotional restlessness: “Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• agitation 
• anxiety 
• disquiet 
• ferment 
• insomnia 
• instability 
• jitters www.thesaurus.com
• nervousness 
• uneasiness www.thesaurus.com