1
as in uneasy
lacking or denying rest
the worried mother spent a restless night, tossing and turning in bed for hours
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anxious
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the figure skater was visibly restless as she waited for her scores to be posted
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restless
For all the restless nights, there will be even more days filled with laughter and love.
—
Anna Moeslein, Parents, 21 Jan. 2025
Tonight: Stay calm. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ★★ This is a restless day for you.
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
As much as Louie’s secrets — some revealed by Dylan out of spite and others by his own restless tongue — might paint him as a predator, the would-be victim of his questionable actions might be more of a willing accomplice with their own troubling past and self-serving motivations.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
In the field, Moises is restless and relentless, working from early morning till late at night with a professional’s calm.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for restless 
Anna Moeslein, Parents, 21 Jan. 2025
Tonight: Stay calm. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ★★ This is a restless day for you.
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
As much as Louie’s secrets — some revealed by Dylan out of spite and others by his own restless tongue — might paint him as a predator, the would-be victim of his questionable actions might be more of a willing accomplice with their own troubling past and self-serving motivations.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
In the field, Moises is restless and relentless, working from early morning till late at night with a professional’s calm.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for restless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restless
Adjective
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Add Vargas to the long list of Americans who have been uneasy about TikTok’s future.—
Jeff Gluck,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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For all of their uneasy gazing and silent discernment, artful visages are a key element in the decor.—
Leilani Marie Labong,
Architectural Digest,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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For example, someone not willing to open up to you about certain aspects of their personal life can be interpreted as personal rejection, which may trigger defensive or anxious behaviors.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
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More than a few have faced foreclosure, leaving owners anxious about the need to get tenants back in their buildings or find another use for the millions of unused square feet.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Upcoming trustee elections represent a chance for sane graduates of the troubled institution to push it in the right direction -- despite the university’s interference.—
Jack Fowler,
National Review,
19 Jan. 2025
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The troubled Metropolitan Detention Center jail in Brooklyn has just two doctors on staff to care for its more than 1,100 inmates, and an opening for a third physician has gone unfilled for nearly a decade.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This is a dark and disturbing script that, circa 1996, would have been better handled by Darren Aronofsky or David Fincher.—
Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante,
EW.com,
27 Jan. 2025
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Nakamura, the father, was interned along with his Japanese American family during WWII, a shameful and disturbing period in 20th-century American history that has never been fully acknowledged or dealt with on a national level.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Today, the United States is navigating an increasingly unsettled world.—
Matthew Clary,
The Conversation,
14 Jan. 2025
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Los Angeles power grid faults spiked before wildfires started, expert says In some parts of Los Angeles, residents have returned to their still smoldering neighborhoods even as the threat of new fires persisted and the nation's second-largest city remained unsettled.—
Michael Dorgan,
Fox News,
11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Saturday’s Big 12 headliner should be a physical, tense and narrow affair.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
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These chips are at the center of a tense technological competition between the United States and China.—
Cade Metz,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Despite American claims that the attack on Bud Dajo would pacify the restive Moros, the unrest continued.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
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But the raid is also shining a spotlight on the Palestinian Authority’s ability to impose order and security in a restive area.—
Majdi Mohammed and Tia Goldenberg,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Some parents are nervous to send their kids back to the center, given the air quality concerns and its proximity to the burn area.—
Kate Sequeira,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2025
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Ellie is nervous, and so naturally, her dead lesbian aunt manifests as an unwanted spiritual gay guide.—
Sadie Collins,
Them,
24 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Restless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restless. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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