Standard Lemma guide

restless

adj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • rĕstʹlĭs
  • /ˈɹɛstlɪs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈɹɛstləs/ weak vowel merger
  • CMU ARPABET: R EH1 S T L AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not allowing or affording rest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The night before his wedding was a restless one.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Without rest; unable to be still or quiet; uneasy; continually moving.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was a restless child.
  • She sat, restless and nervous, and tried to concentrate.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: antsy

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not satisfied to be at rest or in peace; averse to repose; eager for change; discontented.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A restless ambition.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Deprived of rest or sleep.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • They remained restless, sitting by the window the entire night.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

lacking or not affording physical or mental rest

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a restless night
  • she fell into an uneasy sleep

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: uneasy

Antonyms: restful

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

worried and uneasy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ungratified, unsatisfied

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

ceaselessly in motion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the restless sea
  • the restless wind

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *rastō Proto-West Germanic *rastu Old English ræst Proto-Indo-European *lewh1- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Old English ræstlēas Middle English restles English restless From Middle English restles, restelees, from Old English ræstlēas, equivalent to rest + -less.

Across languages

Translations

89 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неспокоен (nespokoen) — not allowing or affording rest
  • Catalan: intranquil — not allowing or affording rest
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不眠的 (bù mián de) — not allowing or affording rest
  • Danish: hvileløs — not allowing or affording rest
  • Danish: urolig — not allowing or affording rest
  • Finnish: levoton — not allowing or affording rest
  • Finnish: uneton — not allowing or affording rest
  • French: inquiet — not allowing or affording rest
  • German: unruhig — not allowing or affording rest
  • Hindi: चंचल (cañcal) — not allowing or affording rest
  • Hungarian: nyugtalan — not allowing or affording rest
  • Italian: instancabile — not allowing or affording rest
  • Māori: whakariuka — not allowing or affording rest
  • Māori: tūrama — not allowing or affording rest
  • Māori: tūramarama — not allowing or affording rest
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hvileløs — not allowing or affording rest
  • Norwegian Bokmål: urolig — not allowing or affording rest
  • Polish: bez odpoczynku — not allowing or affording rest
  • Portuguese: desassossegado — not allowing or affording rest
  • Russian: беспоко́йный (bespokójnyj) — not allowing or affording rest
  • Russian: трево́жный (trevóžnyj) — not allowing or affording rest
  • Scottish Gaelic: mì-shuaimhneach — not allowing or affording rest
  • Bulgarian: който не може да си намери място (kojto ne može da si nameri mjasto) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Catalan: inquiet — unable to be still or quiet
  • Chinese Mandarin: 坐不住的 (zuòbuzhù de) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Chinese Mandarin: 浮躁 (fúzào) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Czech: neklidný — unable to be still or quiet
  • Danish: rastløs — unable to be still or quiet
  • Danish: urolig — unable to be still or quiet
  • Dutch: rusteloos — unable to be still or quiet
  • Esperanto: malkvieta — unable to be still or quiet
  • Finnish: levoton — unable to be still or quiet
  • French: agité — unable to be still or quiet
  • German: unruhig — unable to be still or quiet
  • German: rastlos — unable to be still or quiet
  • Greek: ανήσυχος (anísychos) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Hebrew: חֲסַר מָנוֹחַ (ẖasár manóaẖ) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Hindi: चंचल (cañcal) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Ingrian: raisu — unable to be still or quiet
  • Irish: luaineach — unable to be still or quiet
  • Irish: aistreach — unable to be still or quiet
  • Italian: irrequieto — unable to be still or quiet
  • Latin: inquiēs — unable to be still or quiet
  • Māori: kanae — unable to be still or quiet
  • Māori: toropuku — unable to be still or quiet
  • Māori: titoro — unable to be still or quiet
  • Māori: tāwheta — unable to be still or quiet
  • Māori: ārewa — unable to be still or quiet
  • Māori: tiu — unable to be still or quiet
  • Māori: tourepa — unable to be still or quiet
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rastløs — unable to be still or quiet
  • Norwegian Bokmål: urolig — unable to be still or quiet
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rastlaus — unable to be still or quiet
  • Persian: بیقرار (bi-qarâr) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Polish: niespokojny — unable to be still or quiet
  • Portuguese: inquieto — unable to be still or quiet
  • Romanian: neliniștit — unable to be still or quiet
  • Romanian: agitat — unable to be still or quiet
  • Russian: беспоко́йный (bespokójnyj) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Russian: неугомо́нный (neugomónnyj) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Scottish Gaelic: siùbhlach — unable to be still or quiet
  • Scottish Gaelic: an-fhoiseil — unable to be still or quiet
  • Spanish: inquieto — unable to be still or quiet
  • Ukrainian: неспокі́йний (nespokíjnyj) — unable to be still or quiet
  • Bulgarian: нетърпелив (netǎrpeliv) — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Chinese Mandarin: 坐不住的 (zuòbuzhù de) — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不安於現狀的 /不安于现状的 (bù ānyúxiànzhuàng de) — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Finnish: levoton — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • German: ruhelos — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • German: rastlos — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Hungarian: nyughatatlan — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Ingrian: raisu — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Latin: implacidus — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Māori: taoi — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rastløs — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Polish: niezaspokojony — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Portuguese: incansável — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Scottish Gaelic: siùbhlach — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Scottish Gaelic: an-fhoiseil — not satisfied to be at rest or peace
  • Catalan: desvetllat — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Chinese Mandarin: 難以入睡的 /难以入睡的 (zuòbuzhù de) — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不安于现状的 (nányǐ rùshuì de) — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Danish: hvileløs — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Esperanto: senripoza — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Finnish: levoton — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Ingrian: raisu — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hvileløs — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Plautdietsch: schloplooss — deprived of rest or sleep
  • Polish: bez odpoczynku — deprived of rest or sleep
Real reading context

restless in complete knowledge articles