1
: lacking or denying rest : uneasy
a restless night
2
: continuously moving : unquiet
the restless sea
3
: characterized by or manifesting unrest especially of mind
restless pacing
also
: changeful, discontented
restlessly
adverb
restlessness
noun
Examples of restless in a Sentence
restless children who can't sit still
The audience was becoming restless.
He started to feel restless and discontent in his job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Since then, singer/guitarist Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt have been the only constant members, but have realized their restless artistic vision thanks to a series of world-class collaborators.
—
Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 June 2024
Hillary Brown became restless and her feet began twitching during a portion of procedures, per the health department.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 18 June 2024
The tune was hard to make out over the buzz of the audience — a combination of excited adults and restless preschoolers — but as Savannah’s moment in the spotlight unfolded, the melody became clear.
—Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 2 June 2024
Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers were restless, prone to quarreling when the instruments came out.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for restless 
Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 June 2024
Hillary Brown became restless and her feet began twitching during a portion of procedures, per the health department.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 18 June 2024
The tune was hard to make out over the buzz of the audience — a combination of excited adults and restless preschoolers — but as Savannah’s moment in the spotlight unfolded, the melody became clear.
—Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 2 June 2024
Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers were restless, prone to quarreling when the instruments came out.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for restless
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'restless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restless. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
restless
adjective
rest·less
ˈrest-ləs 
1
: being without rest : giving no rest
a restless night
2
: always moving
the restless sea
3
: showing one to be uneasy
restless pacing back and forth
restlessly
adverb
restlessness
noun
Medical Definition
restless
adjective
rest·less
ˈrest-ləs
1
: deprived of rest or sleep
the patient was restless from pain
2
: providing no rest
a restless night
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