rest
gb/ɹˈɛst/ us/ɹˈɛst/
A1
English
~ 2000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
time spent relaxing or sleeping
A time when you stop working or moving so you can relax or sleep.
Usage pattern:
take [a/an] rest
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'rest' (noun) with 'nap' (noun); 'nap' usually means sleeping for a short time, while 'rest' can mean relaxing without sleeping.
Synonyms
break (Often refers to a short pause during work or activity.)
|
repose (More formal or literary term for rest, often implying calmness.)
Antonyms
work (The opposite of stopping activity; involves effort or labor.)
|
activity (The opposite of stillness or inactivity.)
Collocations
get some rest
|take a rest
|need a rest
|well-deserved rest
Themes
daily life
|health
|work
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After the long hike, we all needed a good rest.
- She lay down for a short rest before dinner.
- The doctor advised him to take plenty of rest to recover.
Learner examples
- I need a rest after school.
- He is taking a rest in his room.
- We have a short rest at lunchtime.
Verb
A1
action
2
stop to relax or sleep
To stop working or moving so you can relax or sleep.
Usage pattern:
to rest [for time/duration]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'rest' (verb) with 'sleep'; sleeping is one way to rest, but resting can also mean simply relaxing without sleeping.
Synonyms
relax (Focuses more on mental ease and comfort rather than physical recovery.)
|
pause (Often refers to a brief stop without necessarily relaxing.)
Antonyms
work (To engage in physical or mental activity instead of stopping.)
|
exert oneself (To use physical or mental energy actively.)
Collocations
rest for a while
|rest your eyes
|rest after work
Themes
daily life
|health
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We decided to rest for an hour before continuing our trip.
- She rested in bed after the operation.
- You should rest your eyes after looking at the screen for too long.
Learner examples
- I will rest after lunch.
- He is resting on the sofa.
- She rests for ten minutes every hour.
Noun
A2
entity
3
the remaining part of something
What is left after other parts are gone or used.
Usage pattern:
the rest of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'rest' in this sense with 'break'; here it means 'remaining part', not 'pause'.
Synonyms
remainder (More formal; often used in written contexts.)
|
balance (Used especially for amounts of money left over.)
Antonyms
whole (Refers to the complete amount rather than what is left.)
Collocations
the rest of the day
|the rest of the money
|the rest of them
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I’ll eat the rest of the cake later.
- She spent the rest of her life in the countryside.
- We need to finish the rest of the project tomorrow.
Learner examples
- I will drink the rest of the juice.
- He spent the rest of the day at home.
- We saw the rest of the movie yesterday.
Verb
B1
action
4
place on something for support
To put something so it is held up by another thing.
Usage pattern:
rest [something] on [something]
Synonyms
lean (Implies support at an angle rather than lying flat.)
|
lay (More general term for putting something down; may not imply support.)
Collocations
rest your head on a pillow
|rest your hand on the table
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She rested her head on his shoulder.
- The ladder was resting against the wall.
- He rested his elbows on the desk.
Learner examples
- I rested my bag on the chair.
- She rests her head on the pillow.
- The book rests on the shelf.
Verb
B2
relation
5
depend on something for support or basis
To depend on something for support or reason.
Usage pattern:
rest on [something]
Synonyms
depend on (More general; can apply to many contexts of reliance.)
|
rely on (Implies trust and dependence.)
Collocations
rest on evidence
|rest on assumptions
Themes
ideas
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The case rests on one key witness.
- His argument rests on false assumptions.
- Our success rests on teamwork.
Learner examples
- The plan rests on good communication.
- Her hope rests on finding a new job.
- The story rests on true events.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rest
IPA
GB/ɹˈɛst/
US/ɹˈɛst/
Syllables & stress
rest (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rest)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rest
- Plural: rest, rests
Verb
- Base: rest
- 3rd Person Singular: rests
- Present Participle: resting
- Past: rested
Word family
Forms
rests
noun
resting
verb
rested
verb
Core family
restful
adjective
Related words
restfully
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
restless
adjective B1
restlessness
noun B1
Expressions
at rest
1/ˈæt ɹˈɛst/
fixed phrase
not moving or active
Not moving; quiet and still.
Examples
- The machine is at rest when powered off.
- He looked peaceful, lying at rest in bed.
come to rest
1/kˈʌm tə ɹˈɛst/
fixed phrase
stop moving and stay still
To stop moving and stay in one place.
Examples
- The ball rolled across the field and came to rest near the goal.
- The car came to rest by the side of the road.
give it a rest
1/ɡˈɪv ˈɪt ə ɹˈɛst/
idiom
informal
stop doing something annoying
Stop doing or talking about something that is bothering people.
Examples
- You've been complaining all day—give it a rest!
- Give it a rest, we’ve heard enough about your new car.
lay to rest
1/lˈeɪ tə ɹˈɛst/
idiom
bury dead person or end uncertainty
To bury someone who has died, or to make sure people stop worrying about something.
Examples
- They laid him to rest in the village cemetery.
- This new evidence should lay the rumors to rest.
rest assured
1/ɹˈɛst əʃˈʊɹd/
fixed phrase
formal
be certain and not worry about it
Be sure and not worried about something because it is guaranteed.
Examples
- Rest assured, we will deliver your order on time.
- You can rest assured that your money is safe with us.
rest assured
2/ɹˈɛst əʃˈʊɹd/
fixed phrase
Be sure and not worried
You can be sure and not worried because something will happen as promised.
Examples
- Rest assured, we will handle everything for you.
- You can rest assured that your package will arrive on time.