Lest vs. Rest — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Lest and Rest
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Compare with Definitions
Lest
For fear that
Tiptoed lest the guard should hear her.
Anxious lest he become ill.
Rest
Cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep, or recover strength
He needed to rest after the feverish activity
I'm going to rest up before travelling to England
Lest
So that someone or something not; in case someone or something might
"Lest anyone forget, adolescence is purgatory" (Jon Pareles).
Rest
Be placed or supported so as to stay in a specified position
Her elbow was resting on the arm of the sofa
Lest
For fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.
He won’t go outside, lest he be eaten by those ravenous eagles.
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Rest
Be based on; depend on
The country's security rested on its alliances
Lest
(after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension) that (without the negative particle; introduces the reason for an emotion.)
There was danger lest the plan become known.
I am afraid lest I revealed too much.
Rest
Conclude presentation of either party's case in a suit or prosecution
The prosecution rests
Lest
To listen.
Rest
Remain or be left in a specified condition
You can rest assured she will do everything she can
Lest
Lust; desire; pleasure.
Rest
An instance or period of resting
A couple of days of complete rest
You look as though you need a rest
Lest
Last; least.
Rest
An interval of silence of a specified duration.
Lest
For fear that; that . . . not; in order that . . . not.
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty.
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Rest
An object that is used to support something
A shoulder rest
Lest
That (without the negative particle); - after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension.
I fearedLest I might anger thee.
Rest
The remaining part of something
What do you want to do for the rest of your life?
I'll tell you the rest tomorrow night
Lest
For fear that;
She tiptoed lest her mother should hear her
Rest
A small, detached portion of an organ or tissue.
Lest
That (after verbs explicitly expressing fear etc.);
He worried lest he should be late
Rest
A rally in real tennis.
Rest
A period of inactivity, relaxation, or sleep:The hikers stopped for a rest.
Rest
Sleep or the refreshment resulting from inactivity or sleep:Get plenty of rest before the race.
Rest
The repose of death:eternal rest.
Rest
Mental or emotional calm:The news put my mind at rest.
Rest
The state of being motionless; the absence of motion:The car accelerates quickly from a state of rest.
Rest
The condition of being settled or resolved:a remark that put the matter to rest.
Rest
An interval of silence corresponding to one of the possible time values within a measure.
Rest
The mark or symbol indicating such a pause and its length.
Rest
A short pause in a line of poetry; a caesura.
Rest
A device used as a support:a back rest.
Rest
(Games)See bridge1.
Rest
The part that is left over after something has been removed; remainder.
Rest
That or those remaining
The beginning was boring, but the rest was interesting. The rest are arriving later.
Rest
A support for a lance on the side of the breastplate of medieval armor.
Rest
To cease motion, work, or activity, especially in order to become refreshed:The laborers rested in the shade.
Rest
To lie down and sleep:rested for an hour on the couch.
Rest
To be in or come to a motionless state:The can rolled along, finally resting when it hit the curb.
Rest
To be located or be in a specified place:The manuscript rests in the museum.
Rest
To be fixed or directed on something:His gaze rested on the necklace.
Rest
To be unchanged or unresolved:After arguing for an hour, we let the matter rest.
Rest
To be supported or based; lie, lean, or sit:The ladder rests firmly anst the tree.
Rest
To be imposed or vested, as a responsibility or burden:The final decision rests with the crperson.
Rest
To depend or rely:That argument rests on a false assumption.
Rest
(Law)To complete the n presentation of one's portion of a legal case:The defense rests.
Rest
To cause or allow to be inactive or relaxed so as to ren energy:The coach rested his best players. I rested my eyes before studying.
Rest
To place, lay, or lean, as for support or repose:rested the rake anst the fence.
Rest
To base or ground:I rested my conclusion on that fact.
Rest
To fix or direct (the gaze, for example).
Rest
(Law)To complete the n presentation of (one's portion of a case):The prosecutor was not ready to rest her case.
Rest
To be or continue to be; remain
Rest assured that we will finish on time.
Rest
To remain or be left over.
Rest
Relief from work or activity by sleeping; sleep.
I need to get a good rest tonight; I was up late last night.
The sun sets, and the workers go to their rest.
Rest
(countable) Any relief from exertion; a state of quiet and relaxation.
We took a rest at the top of the hill to get our breath back.
Rest
(uncountable) Peace; freedom from worry, anxiety, annoyances; tranquility.
It was nice to have a rest from the phone ringing when I unplugged it for a while.
Rest
A state of inactivity; a state of little or no motion; a state of completion.
The boulder came to rest just behind the house after rolling down the mountain.
The ocean was finally at rest.
Now that we're all in agreement, we can put that issue to rest.
Rest
A final position after death.
She was laid to rest in the village cemetery.
Rest
A pause of a specified length in a piece of music.
Remember there's a rest at the end of the fourth bar.
Rest
A written symbol indicating such a pause in a musical score such as in sheet music.
Rest
Absence of motion.
The body's centre of gravity may affect its state of rest.
Rest
A stick with a U-, V- or X-shaped head used to support the tip of a cue when the cue ball is otherwise out of reach.
Higgins can't quite reach the white with his cue, so he'll be using the rest.
Rest
(countable) Any object designed to be used to support something else.
She put the phone receiver back in its rest.
He placed his hands on the arm rests of the chair.
Rest
A projection from the right side of the cuirass of armour, serving to support the lance.
Rest
A place where one may rest, either temporarily, as in an inn, or permanently, as, in an abode.
Rest
(poetry) A short pause in reading poetry; a caesura.
Rest
The striking of a balance at regular intervals in a running account. Often, specifically, the intervals after which compound interest is added to capital.
Rest
(dated) A set or game at tennis.
Rest
(uncountable) That which remains.
She ate some of the food, but was not hungry enough to eat it all, so she put the rest in the refrigerator to finish later.
Rest
Those not included in a proposition or description; the remainder; others.
Rest
A surplus held as a reserved fund by a bank to equalize its dividends, etc.; in the Bank of England, the balance of assets above liabilities.
Rest
(intransitive) To cease from action, motion, work, or performance of any kind; stop; desist; be without motion.
Rest
(intransitive) To come to a pause or an end; end.
Rest
(intransitive) To be free from that which harasses or disturbs; be quiet or still; be undisturbed.
Rest
To be or to put into a state of rest.
My day's work is over; now I will rest.
We need to rest the horses before we ride any further.
I shall not rest until I have uncovered the truth.
Rest
(intransitive) To stay, remain, be situated.
The blame seems to rest with your father.
Rest
To lean, lie, or lay.
A column rests on its pedestal.
I rested my head in my hands.
She rested against my shoulder.
I rested against the wall for a minute.
Rest
To complete one's active advocacy in a trial or other proceeding, and thus to wait for the outcome (however, one is still generally available to answer questions, etc.)
The defense rests, your Honor.
I rest my case.
Rest
(intransitive) To sleep; slumber.
Rest
(intransitive) To lie dormant.
Rest
(intransitive) To sleep the final sleep; sleep in death; die; be dead.
Rest
(intransitive) To rely or depend on.
The decision rests on getting a bank loan.
Rest
To be satisfied; to acquiesce.
Rest
To continue to be, remain, be left in a certain way.
You can rest assured that a sick child will say when it's again ready to eat, so it won't starve and doesn't need to be cajoled into eating.
Rest
To keep a certain way.
Rest
To arrest.
Rest
To arrest.
Rest
To cease from action or motion, especially from action which has caused weariness; to desist from labor or exertion.
God . . . rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest.
Rest
To be free from whanever wearies or disturbs; to be quiet or still.
There rest, if any rest can harbor there.
Rest
To lie; to repose; to recline; to lan; as, to rest on a couch.
Rest
To stand firm; to be fixed; to be supported; as, a column rests on its pedestal.
Rest
To sleep; to slumber; hence, poetically, to be dead.
Fancy . . . then retriesInto her private cell when Nature rests.
Rest
To lean in confidence; to trust; to rely; to repose without anxiety; as, to rest on a man's promise.
On him I rested, after long debate,And not without considering, fixed fate.
Rest
To be satisfied; to acquiesce.
To rest in Heaven's determination.
Rest
To lay or place at rest; to quiet.
Your piety has paidAll needful rites, to rest my wandering shade.
Rest
To place, as on a support; to cause to lean.
Her weary head upon your bosom rest.
Rest
To be left; to remain; to continue to be.
The affairs of men rest still uncertain.
Rest
A state of quiet or repose; a cessation from motion or labor; tranquillity; as, rest from mental exertion; rest of body or mind.
Sleep give thee all his rest!
Rest
Hence, freedom from everything which wearies or disturbs; peace; security.
And the land had rest fourscore years.
Rest
Sleep; slumber; hence, poetically, death.
How sleep the brave who sink to rest,By all their country's wishes blest.
Rest
That on which anything rests or leans for support; as, a rest in a lathe, for supporting the cutting tool or steadying the work.
He made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
Rest
A projection from the right side of the cuirass, serving to support the lance.
Their visors closed, their lances in the rest.
Rest
A place where one may rest, either temporarily, as in an inn, or permanently, as, in an abode.
In dust our final rest, and native home.
Ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you.
Rest
A short pause in reading verse; a cæsura.
Rest
The striking of a balance at regular intervals in a running account.
Rest
A set or game at tennis.
Rest
Silence in music or in one of its parts; the name of the character that stands for such silence. They are named as notes are, whole, half, quarter,etc.
Rest
That which is left, or which remains after the separation of a part, either in fact or in contemplation; remainder; residue.
Religion gives part of its reward in hand, the present comfort of having done our duty, and, for the rest, it offers us the best security that Heaven can give.
Rest
Those not included in a proposition or description; the remainder; others.
Armed like the rest, the Trojan prince appears.
Rest
A surplus held as a reserved fund by a bank to equalize its dividends, etc.; in the Bank of England, the balance of assets above liabilities.
Rest
Something left after other parts have been taken away;
There was no remainder
He threw away the rest
He took what he wanted and I got the balance
Rest
Freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility);
Took his repose by the swimming pool
Rest
A pause for relaxation;
People actually accomplish more when they take time for short rests
Rest
A state of inaction;
A body will continue in a state of rest until acted upon
Rest
Euphemisms for death (based on an analogy between lying in a bed and in a tomb);
She was laid to rest beside her husband
They had to put their family pet to sleep
Rest
A support on which things can be put;
The gun was steadied on a special rest
Rest
A musical notation indicating a silence of a specified duration
Rest
Not move; be in a resting position
Rest
Take a short break from one's activities in order to relax
Rest
Give a rest to;
He rested his bad leg
Rest the dogs for a moment
Rest
Have a place in relation to something else;
The fate of Bosnia lies in the hands of the West
The responsibility rests with the Allies
Rest
Be at rest
Rest
Stay the same; remain in a certain state;
The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it
Rest assured
Stay alone
He remained unmoved by her tears
The bad weather continued for another week
Rest
Be inherent or innate in;
Rest
Put something in a resting position, as for support or steadying;
Rest your head on my shoulder
Rest
Sit, as on a branch;
The birds perched high in the treee
Rest
Rest on or as if on a pillow;
Pillow your head
Rest
Be inactive, refrain from acting;
The committee is resting over the summer
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