Meanings
- Said to mourn, remember, or celebrate a deceased person, particularly activists and victims of oppression.
A wall displays the local gang's roster—hundreds of names spraypainted in furious, spidery lettering. Someone points to the "R.I.P." section: more than a dozen names. "Rest in Power," mumbles one of the boys.
1992, Rubén Martínez, “Going Up in L.A.”, in The Other Side: Fault Lines, Guerrilla Saints, and the True Heart of Rock 'n' Roll, page 1041 more example
About a mile from the cemetery entrance, hundreds lined the streets, holding up umbrellas and makeshift tents to protect themselves from the unrelenting sun. They doodled chalk messages of “rest in power” and “be the change” along the sidewalk, and periodically broke out in chants: “Say his name! George Floyd!”
2020 June 10, Vivian Ho, “'He'll change the world': George Floyd's family pays emotional tribute as crowds flock to funeral”, in The GuardianAntonyms: rest in piss
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseSaid to mourn, remember, or celebrate a deceased person, particularly activists and victims of oppression.
Origin
Modelled on rest in peace. According to Barry Popik, the term likely originated in the graffiti community of Oakland, California.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French repose en puissance
- repose en puissanceblessing or expression of hope
Portuguese descanse no poder
- descanse no poderblessing or expression of hope
Spanish descanse en poder
- descanse en poderblessing or expression of hope
Cite this entry
rest in power. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rest%20in%20power
“rest in power.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rest%20in%20power. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rest in power,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rest%20in%20power.
Source: rest in power on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.