Unrest is widespread dissatisfaction that could turn to trouble. Civil unrest, growing unrest, unrest in the region.
It describes a state rather than an event: unrest is what precedes protest and riot, and news reports use it precisely because it does not commit to how serious things are. Civil unrest and industrial unrest are the standard pairs. Note that unrest is un- plus rest, built exactly as the Dutch onrust and German Unruhe are, each language having made it separately.
1noununrestWidespread dissatisfaction that could turn to trouble.
“Rising food prices led to unrest in several cities.”
unrest is a state of dissatisfaction.
Middle English unreste is un- plus rest. Dutch onrust and German Unruhe are the same compound, each built independently from the same parts.
Middle English
unreste
English, today
unrest
From Middle English unreste, equivalent to un- + rest. Cognate with West Frisian ûnrêst (“unrest”), Dutch onrust (“unrest”), German Low German Unrüst (“unrest”). Compare also stq Uunraue (“unrest”), German Unruhe (“unrest”), Danish uro (“unrest”), Swedish oro (“unrest”), Icelandic órói (“unrest”). Compare also Old English orrest (“battle”), Old Norse orrosta, orresta (“battle”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA