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
His mercurial cinematography, thrashing and restless for so much of the film, arrives at a kind of floating serenity, augmented by gleaming digital effects.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 July 2024
Adam Honoré lights the cavernous environment with rich fuchsias and restless spotlights, which keep catching Jean’s gorgeously glamazon costumes like jewels in the dark.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 27 June 2024
But contemporary events have put the historically restless region once more on edge.
Religious and ethnic tensions in Russia
Over 200 ethnic minority communities live in Russia, which spans eleven time zones and is home to some 144 million people.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 24 June 2024
Among other things, the survey asked mothers whether their children were restless, hyperactive, impatient, clingy or accident-prone.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for restless 
Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 July 2024
Adam Honoré lights the cavernous environment with rich fuchsias and restless spotlights, which keep catching Jean’s gorgeously glamazon costumes like jewels in the dark.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 27 June 2024
But contemporary events have put the historically restless region once more on edge.
Religious and ethnic tensions in Russia
Over 200 ethnic minority communities live in Russia, which spans eleven time zones and is home to some 144 million people.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 24 June 2024
Among other things, the survey asked mothers whether their children were restless, hyperactive, impatient, clingy or accident-prone.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 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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Dictionary Entries Near restless
Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restless. Accessed 7 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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