unrest

noun

un·​rest ˌən-ˈrest How to pronounce unrest (audio)
Synonyms of unrestnext
: a disturbed or uneasy state : turmoil

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of unrest in a Sentence

The country has experienced years of civil unrest. unrest gripped the city as the people nervously awaited the expected bombardment
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The levels are based off several factors, including crime levels, threats of terrorism, civil unrest, health concerns and the possibility of a natural disaster, according to the State Department. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2025 In addition to long-standing restrictions, the State Department issued a travel advisory in August warning citizens not to travel to Iran due to political unrest in the region. — Amin Khodadadi, NBC News, 16 Mar. 2025 President Donald Trump’s mercurial tariff policies threaten to roil the global economy, resulting in unrest in the stock market. — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025 Dangers for American travelers include the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest of U.S. citizens and wrongful detentions. — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unrest

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unrest was in the 14th century

Rhymes for unrest

See All Rhymes for unrest

Browse Nearby Words

unresponsive
unrest
unrested
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unrest. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

unrest

noun
un·​rest ˌən-ˈrest How to pronounce unrest (audio)
ˈən-
: lack of rest : a disturbed or uneasy state : turmoil

More from Merriam-Webster on unrest

Nglish: Translation of unrest for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All