Definitions

restless

[rest-lis] / ˈrɛst lɪs /

ADJECTIVE

not content; moving about

Synonyms

STRONGEST

agitated anxious disturbed edgy fidgety itchy nervous restive sleepless troubled uneasy unruly unsettled

WEAK

active antsy bundle of nerves bustling changeable fidgeting fitful footloose fretful hurried ill at ease inconstant intermittent irresolute jumpy nomadic on edge perturbed roving spasmodic strung-out tossing and turning transient turbulent unpeaceful unquiet unrestful unstable unsteady wandering worried

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm collected composed content cool easygoing laid-back peaceful quiet relaxed settled unworried

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the studio and in meetings, Shulman has the restless energy of a kid—pacing around a room or fidgeting with a piano keyboard or bass guitar—combined with the intellectual affect of a quant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

"Imagine, without sleep, my child was restless all night," Quinones said.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026

Stella’s restless energy in wanting to fix things spurs her to arrange an impromptu trip for them to Amsterdam.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

Around him orbits a constellation of classmates - caustic, thoughtful, restless - who debate Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, Karl Marx and the price of cigarettes with equal seriousness.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

That evening, I fall into a restless sleep but wake to something tickling my toes.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman

Vocabulary lists containing restless

"The Civil Rights Movement"

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Vocabulary from "Community is the 'killer app' missing from virtual reality" by Dmitri Williams

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Don't Panic! Synonyms for "Stress"

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