Unrest
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A state of trouble, confusion and turbulence, especially in a political context; a time of riots, demonstrations and protests. uncountable, usually
"What words are these have fall’n from me? Can calm despair and wild unrest Be tenants of a single breast, Or sorrow such a changeling be?"
- 2 a feeling of restless agitation wordnet
- 3 Something that troubles or confuses; that which causes unrest. uncountable, usually
"In her pyjamas, Sadie turned back the bedclothes to a single sheet, and settled down under it with a sigh of content; the languors of a body untroubled by mental unrests were a reward for the day's exertions."
- 4 a state of agitation or turbulent change or development wordnet
Example
More examples"Social unrest may come about as a result of the endless rising of prices."
Etymology
From Middle English unreste, equivalent to un- + rest. Cognate with West Frisian ûnrêst (“unrest”), Dutch onrust (“unrest”), German Low German Unrüst (“unrest”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Uunraue (“unrest”), German Unruhe (“unrest”), Danish uro (“unrest”), Swedish oro (“unrest”), Icelandic órói (“unrest”). Compare also Old English orrest (“battle”), Old Norse orrosta, orresta (“battle”).
Related phrases
More for "unrest"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.