Noun (1)
the coming weekend will provide some much needed rest
after a long day, I lay down on the couch for a little rest before dinner Verb
We will not rest until we discover the truth.
The workers were resting in the shade.
He is resting comfortably after his ordeal.
She went to her room to rest for a while.
The coach canceled practice to rest his team.
He rested his horse before continuing the journey.
You should rest your eyes after all that reading.
The pitcher needs to rest his arm.
The spoon was resting in the cup.
The house rests on a concrete foundation. Noun (3)
can you hand me the rest of those papers?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In the painting, there is caring (the one who is looking at the mother), there is rest (the one lying with eyes closed), and there is loneliness (the one looking away, the one looking down, the mother gazing into space).—Karl Ove Knausgaard, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 Depending on the cause, rest, specific foot exercises, or at-home remedies, such as ice or over-the-counter pain relievers, can help manage the pain.—Sarah Richards, Verywell Health, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
That result helps Fagin decide how vigorously to exercise each day—or when to rest instead.—Jennifer Heimlich, SELF, 28 Jan. 2025 Kansas City finished the regular season 15-2 — with one of those losses coming in the final game, when many of the Chiefs’ starters rested.—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 27 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for rest
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German rasta rest and perhaps to Old High German ruowa calm
Noun (2)
Middle English reste, literally, stoppage, short for areste, from Anglo-French arest, from arester to arrest
Noun (3)
Middle English, from Anglo-French reste, from rester to remain, from Latin restare, from re- + stare to stand — more at stand
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Share