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Definition of rest verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rest

verb
 
/rest/
 
/rest/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they rest
 
/rest/
 
/rest/
he / she / it rests
 
/rests/
 
/rests/
past simple rested
 
/ˈrestɪd/
 
/ˈrestɪd/
past participle rested
 
/ˈrestɪd/
 
/ˈrestɪd/
-ing form resting
 
/ˈrestɪŋ/
 
/ˈrestɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
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    relax

  1. [intransitive, transitive] to relax, sleep or do nothing after a period of activity or illness; to not use a part of your body for some time
    • The doctor told me to rest.
    • (figurative) He won't rest (= will never be satisfied) until he finds her.
    • rest something He had to rest his injured knee for six weeks.
    • Rest your eyes every half an hour.
    see also rested
    Extra Examples
    • He could rest safely in this place.
    • I stopped to rest on one of the benches.
    • I awoke feeling rested and refreshed.
    Topics Healthcarea2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • casually
    • gently
    • lightly
    verb + rest
    • let something
    • have to
    • need to
    preposition
    • against
    • atop
    • in
    phrases
    • rest easy
    adverb
    • solely
    • squarely
    • entirely
    adverb
    • squarely
    • ultimately
    See full entry
  2. [transitive] rest somebody (sport) to leave a player out of a team for a short period of time
    • The striker has been rested ahead of the final this weekend.
    • The manager chose to rest some of her star players for the midweek game.
    Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsc1
  3. support

  4. [transitive, intransitive] to support something by putting it on or against something; to be supported in this way
    • rest something + adv./prep. Rest your head on my shoulder.
    • He rested his chin in his hands.
    • + adv./prep. Their bikes were resting against the wall.
    • I settled back, my hands resting in my lap.
    Extra Examples
    • She rested the ladder against the wall.
    • She let his hand rest heavily on hers.
    • His hands rested lightly on her shoulders.
    • His hand was resting lazily against the steering wheel.
    • Her head was resting comfortably against his chest.
    • His chin rested on his hands.
    • Her thin hands were resting atop the quilted bed cover.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • casually
    • gently
    • lightly
    verb + rest
    • let something
    • have to
    • need to
    preposition
    • against
    • atop
    • in
    phrases
    • rest easy
    adverb
    • solely
    • squarely
    • entirely
    adverb
    • squarely
    • ultimately
    See full entry
  5. be left

  6. [intransitive] if you let a matter rest, you stop discussing it or dealing with it
    • The matter cannot rest there—I intend to sue.
    • And there the matter rested until an interested journalist uncovered the file.
  7. be buried

  8. [intransitive] + adv./prep. to be buried. People say rest to avoid saying be buried
    • She rests beside her husband in the local cemetery.
    • May he rest in peace.
    see also RIP
  9. Word Originverb Old English ræst, rest (noun), ræstan, restan (verb), of Germanic origin, from a root meaning ‘league’ or ‘mile’ (referring to a distance after which one rests).
Idioms
breathe/rest/sleep easy
  1. to relax and stop worrying
    • You can rest easy—I'm not going to tell anyone.
    • I can sleep easy knowing that she's safely home.
God rest his/her soul | God rest him/her
  1. (old-fashioned, informal) used to show respect when you are talking about somebody who is dead
rest assured (that…)
  1. (formal) used to emphasize that what you say is true or will definitely happen
    • You may rest assured that we will do all we can to find him.
rest your case
  1. I rest my case (sometimes humorous) used to say that you do not need to say any more about something because you think that you have proved your point
  2. (law) used by lawyers in court to say that they have finished presenting their case
    • The prosecution rests its case.
rest/sit on your laurels
  1. (usually disapproving) to feel so satisfied with what you have already achieved that you do not try to do any moreTopics Successc2
See rest in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee rest in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
previously
adverb
 
 
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