unrest
Americannoun
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lack of rest; a restless, troubled, or uneasy state; disquiet.
the unrest within himself.
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disturbance or turmoil; agitation.
political unrest.
- Synonyms:
- turbulence, discord, ferment
noun
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a troubled or rebellious state of discontent
-
an uneasy or troubled state
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unrest
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at un- 1, rest 1
Explanation
Unrest is an uneasy, agitated, or disturbed condition. Strikes and public protests are often part of social and political unrest. There's a personal, small-scale kind of unrest, like the unrest caused at a birthday party by one extremely unhappy child, or the unrest that results from a class clown's practical jokes. Then there's the societal unrest that results in angry public demonstrations. Unsafe working conditions might lead to unrest among laborers, and a government's authoritarian rule often results in unrest too, with citizens marching in the streets.
Vocabulary lists containing unrest
Lesson 4
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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.
England hooker Jamie George says the squad are "really upset" by a newspaper article claiming the end of their summer tour was marked by player unrest over head coach Steve Borthwick's leadership.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The potential for civic unrest looms over the election.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Bangladesh's main manufacturer associations for garments and knitwear warned that "prolonged unrest could disrupt production, delay export shipments and affect Bangladesh's commitments to international buyers", the state-run BSS news agency said on Monday.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Though widespread unrest is unlikely in China, given Beijing’s tight restrictions on dissent, a prolonged loss of hope among young people would leave deep scars on society.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
By the fourth century bce, years of unrest had depopulated large swaths of the country.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
