restless

English

Etymology

From Middle English restles, restelees, from Old English restlēas (“restless; disturbed”), equivalent to rest +‎ -less.

Pronunciation

• enPR: rĕstʹlĭs, IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛstlɪs/
• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛstləs/
• Hyphenation: rest‧less

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

restless (comparative more restless, superlative most restless)

1. Not allowing or affording rest.

   The night before his wedding was a restless one.

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

   He was a restless child.

   She sat, restless and nervous, and tried to concentrate.

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

   A restless ambition.

4. Deprived of rest or sleep.

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

Synonyms

• antsy

Derived terms

• restless legs syndrome
• restlessly
• restlessness
• the natives are restless

Translations

not allowing or affording rest

• Catalan: intranquil (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不眠的 (bù mián de)

• Danish: hvileløs, urolig
• Finnish: levoton (fi), uneton (fi)
• French: inquiet (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: unruhig (de)
• Maori: whakariuka, tūrama, tūramarama
• Polish: bez odpoczynku
• Portuguese: desassossegado (pt)
• Russian: беспоко́йный (ru) (bespokójnyj), трево́жный (ru) (trevóžnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: mì-shuaimhneach

unable to be still or quiet

• Catalan: inquiet (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 坐不住的 (zuòbuzhù de), 浮躁 (zh) (fúzào)

• Czech: neklidný m
• Danish: rastløs, urolig
• Dutch: rusteloos (nl)
• Finnish: levoton (fi)
• German: unruhig (de)
• Greek: ανήσυχος (el) (anísychos)
• Irish: luaineach, aistreach
• Latin: inquiēs
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: kanae (of the eyes), toropuku (of sleep), titoro (of sleep), tāwheta, ārewa, tiu, tourepa
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: rastløs, urolig (no)

  Nynorsk: rastlaus

• Persian: بی‌قرار (fa) (bi-qarâr)
• Polish: niespokojny (pl) m
• Portuguese: inquieto (pt)
• Romanian: neliniștit (ro) m or n, agitat (ro) m or n, agitată f
• Russian: беспоко́йный (ru) (bespokójnyj), неугомо́нный (ru) (neugomónnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: siùbhlach, an-fhoiseil
• Spanish: inquieto (es) m

not satisfied to be at rest or peace

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 坐不住的 (zuòbuzhù de), 不安於現狀的／不安于现状的, 不安于现状的 (bù ānyúxiànzhuàng de)

• Finnish: levoton (fi)
• German: ruhelos, rastlos (de)
• Latin: implacidus
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: taoi
• Polish: niezaspokojony m
• Portuguese: incansável (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: siùbhlach, an-fhoiseil

deprived of rest or sleep

• Catalan: desvetllat
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 難以入睡的／难以入睡的 (zuòbuzhù de), 难以入睡的, 不安于现状的 (nányǐ rùshuì de)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Danish: hvileløs
• Finnish: levoton (fi)
• Polish: bez odpoczynku

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} roerig (nl)
• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} maltrankvila
• French: ^{(please verify)} agité (fr), ^{(please verify)} impatient (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: ^{(please verify)} ruhelos, ^{(please verify)} unruhig (de)
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} luaileach

References

• “restless”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “restless”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Tesslers, tressels