Restless
/ˈrɛst.ləs/noun
Unable to rest or relax; marked by constant activity, anxiety, or motion.
Did you know?The word is a straightforward Old English formation, but its power comes from how English turns the absence of rest into a permanent condition: not a moment of motion, but a life defined by no peace.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
rǣstlēas
“without rest; lacking repose”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*rēstaz
“rest, repose, a place or state of lying down”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reydʰ-
“to rest, lie down”
Middle English
English
restles
“without rest; unquiet, uneasy”
Modern English
English
restless
“unable to rest or remain still”