unrest

unrest — noun

1. a situation in which many people in a country or area are angry and show it publ

1.nounB2
Definition

a situation in which many people in a country or area are angry and show it publicly through protests, strikes, or sometimes violent actions, usually because they disagree with the government or with another group of people

Example

The capital saw months of political unrest after the election results were delayed.

collocation: political unrest

Rising fuel prices led to widespread civil unrest, with protesters blocking major roads.

collocation: civil unrest

Common collocations
  • civil unrest
  • political unrest
  • social unrest
  • ethnic unrest
  • growing unrest
  • widespread unrest
  • public unrest
  • domestic unrest
  • labour unrest
  • industrial unrest
Synonyms
  • turmoil

    suggests confusion and disorder, often more intense than unrest

  • upheaval

    implies a sudden and dramatic change that disrupts normal life

  • disturbance

    a more localised or shorter-lived disruption; less political in tone

  • discontent

    refers to the feeling of dissatisfaction rather than the public actions it causes

Antonyms
  • peace

    a state of calm and order, the opposite of public unrest

  • stability

    a steady and unchanging social or political condition

  • calm

    the absence of agitation or disturbance in a community

Grammar Patterns

adjective + unrest

unrest + verb (spreads, grows, erupts, breaks out)

there is/was unrest (somewhere)

period / wave / outbreak of unrest

Usage Note

Unrest is an uncountable noun and is never used in the plural (no 'unrests'). It is most common in news reporting, political commentary, and formal discussions about public order. The word nearly always refers to a group or societal condition, not an individual's emotional state.

Common Mistakes

The country experienced several unrests last year.
The country experienced several periods of unrest last year.
Unrest is uncountable and cannot take a plural form.
He felt a deep unrest about his job.
There was growing unrest among factory workers about the pay cuts.
Unrest refers to public/social discontent, not personal anxiety.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Unrest, turmoil, upheaval, disturbance, and discontent all describe social or political trouble, but they differ in intensity and focus. Unrest is the broadest term: it covers public anger shown through protests or strikes, without necessarily implying chaos. Turmoil suggests a more chaotic, confused state where normal order has broken down — a country in turmoil may have no clear leadership or functioning institutions. Upheaval points to a sudden, disruptive change that reshapes society, such as a revolution or a major policy shift. Disturbance is milder and more localised — a single protest or street fight is a disturbance, not unrest. Discontent is internal: it names the feeling of dissatisfaction that can lead to unrest, but not the visible actions themselves. A government may face growing discontent for years before open unrest erupts.

turmoil ↗upheavaldisturbance ↗discontent ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a state of unrest
  • months / years of unrest
  • amid growing unrest
  • spark / trigger / fuel unrest
  • quell / calm / put down unrest

Prepositions

  • in unrest
  • period of unrest
  • outbreak of unrest
  • wave of unrest
  • state of unrest

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Unrest is formed from the prefix un- (meaning 'not') attached to the Old English word rest (peace, quiet, calm). In the 1300s, unrest described a person's inner lack of peace or restlessness. By the early 1800s, the word had shifted to its modern meaning of public dissatisfaction and political disturbance — a collective, rather than individual, condition.