restless
rest·less/ˈɹɛstlɪs/adjective
restless is spelled R-E-S-T-L-E-S-S: 8 letters and 2 syllables (rest·less). It appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, restless means “Not allowing or affording rest” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in restless?
| Letters | 8: R-E-S-T-L-E-S-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: rest·less |
| In writing | 4.0 times per million words; the 12,940th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is restless?
Restless appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce restless?
- /ˈɹɛstlɪs/
- /ˈɹɛstləs/
Restless has 2 syllables, split rest·less in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-restless.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of restless
- more restless comparative
- most restless superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does restless mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 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.
- 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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Restless in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | inquiet , agité |
| German | unruhig , rastlos , ruhelos |
| Portuguese | desassossegado , inquieto , incansável |
| Spanish | inquieto |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does restless come from?
From Middle English restles, restelees, from Old English ræstlēas, equivalent to rest + -less.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).