Meanings
adjectiverestless (comparative more restless, superlative most restless)
comparative more restless · superlative most restless
- Not allowing or affording rest.
The night before his wedding was a restless one.
- Without rest; unable to be still or quiet; uneasy; continually moving.
He was a restless child.
2 more examples
She sat, restless and nervous, and tried to concentrate.
If that is the case, she recommends getting up, walking around the house and doing some stretches to ease the restless feeling before trying again to get to sleep.
2024 March 11, Madeline Holcombe, “What to do on the nights you are struggling with insomnia, according to experts”, in CNNSynonyms: antsy
- Not satisfied to be at rest or in peace; averse to repose; eager for change; discontented.
A restless ambition.
- Deprived of rest or sleep.
They remained restless, sitting by the window the entire night.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveWithout rest; unable to be still or quiet; uneasy; continually moving.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveworried and uneasy
adjectiveceaselessly in motion
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*rastō
- Proto-West Germanic*rastu
- Old Englishræst
- Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
- Proto-Germanic*leusaną
- Proto-Germanic*lausaz
- Old Englishræstlēas
- Middle Englishrestles
- Englishrestless
From Middle English restles, restelees, from Old English ræstlēas, equivalent to rest + -less.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian неспокоен, който не може да си намери място
- неспокоен (nespokoen)not allowing or affording rest
- който не може да си намери място (kojto ne može da si nameri mjasto)unable to be still or quiet
- нетърпелив (netărpeliv)not satisfied to be at rest or peace
Catalan intranquil, inquiet
- intranquilnot allowing or affording rest
- inquietunable to be still or quiet
- desvetllatdeprived of rest or sleep
Chinese Mandarin 不眠的, 坐不住的
- 不眠的 (bù mián de)not allowing or affording rest
- 坐不住的 (zuòbuzhù de)unable to be still or quiet
- 浮躁 (fúzào)unable to be still or quiet
- 坐不住的 (zuòbuzhù de)not satisfied to be at rest or peace
- 不安於現狀的 /不安于现状的 (bù ānyúxiànzhuàng de)not satisfied to be at rest or peace
- 難以入睡的 /难以入睡的 (zuòbuzhù de)deprived of rest or sleep
- 不安于现状的 (nányǐ rùshuì de)deprived of rest or sleep
Czech neklidný
- neklidnýunable to be still or quiet
Danish hvileløs, urolig
- hvileløsnot allowing or affording rest
- urolignot allowing or affording rest
- rastløsunable to be still or quiet
- uroligunable to be still or quiet
- hvileløsdeprived of rest or sleep
Dutch rusteloos
- rusteloosunable to be still or quiet
Esperanto malkvieta, senripoza
- malkvietaunable to be still or quiet
- senripozadeprived of rest or sleep
Finnish levoton, uneton
- levotonnot allowing or affording rest
- unetonnot allowing or affording rest
- levotonunable to be still or quiet
- levotonnot satisfied to be at rest or peace
- levotondeprived of rest or sleep
French inquiet, agité
- inquietnot allowing or affording rest
- agitéunable to be still or quiet
German unruhig, unruhig
- unruhignot allowing or affording rest
- unruhigunable to be still or quiet
- rastlosunable to be still or quiet
- ruhelosnot satisfied to be at rest or peace
- rastlosnot satisfied to be at rest or peace
Greek ανήσυχος
- ανήσυχος (anísychos)unable to be still or quiet
Hebrew חֲסַר מָנוֹחַ
- חֲסַר מָנוֹחַ (ẖasár manóaẖ)unable to be still or quiet
Hindi चंचल, चंचल
- चंचल (cañcal)not allowing or affording rest
- चंचल (cañcal)unable to be still or quiet
Hungarian nyugtalan, nyughatatlan
- nyugtalannot allowing or affording rest
- nyughatatlannot satisfied to be at rest or peace
Irish luaineach, aistreach
- luaineachunable to be still or quiet
- aistreachunable to be still or quiet
Italian instancabile, irrequieto
- instancabilenot allowing or affording rest
- irrequietounable to be still or quiet
Latin inquiēs, implacidus
- inquiēsunable to be still or quiet
- implacidusnot satisfied to be at rest or peace
Māori whakariuka, tūrama
- whakariukanot allowing or affording rest
- tūramanot allowing or affording rest
- tūramaramanot allowing or affording rest
- kanaeunable to be still or quiet
- toropukuunable to be still or quiet
- titorounable to be still or quiet
- tāwhetaunable to be still or quiet
- ārewaunable to be still or quiet
- tiuunable to be still or quiet
- tourepaunable to be still or quiet
- taoinot satisfied to be at rest or peace
Norwegian Bokmål hvileløs, urolig
- hvileløsnot allowing or affording rest
- urolignot allowing or affording rest
- rastløsunable to be still or quiet
- uroligunable to be still or quiet
- rastløsnot satisfied to be at rest or peace
- hvileløsdeprived of rest or sleep
Persian بیقرار
- بیقرار (bi-qarâr)unable to be still or quiet
Polish bez odpoczynku, niespokojny
- bez odpoczynkunot allowing or affording rest
- niespokojnyunable to be still or quiet
- niezaspokojonynot satisfied to be at rest or peace
- bez odpoczynkudeprived of rest or sleep
Portuguese desassossegado, inquieto
- desassossegadonot allowing or affording rest
- inquietounable to be still or quiet
- incansávelnot satisfied to be at rest or peace
Romanian neliniștit, agitat
- neliniștitunable to be still or quiet
- agitatunable to be still or quiet
Russian беспоко́йный, трево́жный
- беспоко́йный (bespokójnyj)not allowing or affording rest
- трево́жный (trevóžnyj)not allowing or affording rest
- беспоко́йный (bespokójnyj)unable to be still or quiet
- неугомо́нный (neugomónnyj)unable to be still or quiet
Scottish Gaelic mì-shuaimhneach, siùbhlach
- mì-shuaimhneachnot allowing or affording rest
- siùbhlachunable to be still or quiet
- an-fhoiseilunable to be still or quiet
- siùbhlachnot satisfied to be at rest or peace
- an-fhoiseilnot satisfied to be at rest or peace
Spanish inquieto
- inquietounable to be still or quiet
Ukrainian неспокі́йний
- неспокі́йний (nespokíjnyj)unable to be still or quiet
Cite this entry
APA
restless. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restless
MLA
“restless.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restless. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “restless,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restless.
Source: restless on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.