restive
adjective
res·tive ˈre-stiv 
1
: stubbornly resisting control : balky
2
: marked by impatience or uneasiness : fidgety
restively adverb
restiveness noun
Did you know?
Restive ultimately comes from the Anglo-French word rester, meaning "to stop, resist, or remain." In its earliest use, restive meant "sluggish" or "inactive," though this sense is no longer in use. Another early sense was "stubborn, obstinate." Specifically, restive often referred to horses that refused to do as commanded. This general application to unruly horses may have influenced the development of the "fidgety, impatient" sense of restive. Some usage commentators have objected to this newer sense, but it has been in use for well over a century, and is now the more common of the uses.
Synonyms
- balky
- contrary
- contumacious
- defiant
- disobedient
- froward
- incompliant
- insubordinate
- intractable
- obstreperous
- rebel
- rebellious
- recalcitrant
- recusant
- refractory
- ungovernable
- unruly
- untoward
- wayward
- willful
- wilful
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the restive horse threw its head and refused to move when the rider urged it forward spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam
Recent Examples on the Web The issue was contentious, with restive activists disrupting at least one meeting beforehand, leading Paduchik to impose stricter rules for public access to the meetings. 
Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2022 In one of the low points of his tenure, Gorbachev sanctioned a crackdown on the restive Baltic republics in early 1991. The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Aug. 2022 In one of the low points of his tenure, Gorbachev sanctioned a crackdown on the restive Baltic republics in early 1991. Jim Heintz, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2022 In one of the low points of his tenure, Gorbachev sanctioned a crackdown on the restive Baltic republics in early 1991. Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2022 In one of the low points of his tenure, Gorbachev sanctioned a crackdown on the restive Baltic republics in early 1991. Jim Heintz, ajc, 30 Aug. 2022 After the insurgency ended—Russian secret services directed restive elements to the civil war in Syria, where many were killed—Dagestani élites have been at pains to demonstrate their loyalty whenever possible. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2022 Some of the most closely monitored employees in the country have become some of the most restive — warehouse workers attempting to unionize, truckers forming protest convoys. New York Times, 14 Aug. 2022 But these people used to multibillion-dollar sales and IPOs see a big opportunity in the atomized, restive condition of America’s workforce and the possibility of transforming it through a new era of unionization. Sam Deanstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2022 See More
Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2022 In one of the low points of his tenure, Gorbachev sanctioned a crackdown on the restive Baltic republics in early 1991. The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Aug. 2022 In one of the low points of his tenure, Gorbachev sanctioned a crackdown on the restive Baltic republics in early 1991. Jim Heintz, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2022 In one of the low points of his tenure, Gorbachev sanctioned a crackdown on the restive Baltic republics in early 1991. Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2022 In one of the low points of his tenure, Gorbachev sanctioned a crackdown on the restive Baltic republics in early 1991. Jim Heintz, ajc, 30 Aug. 2022 After the insurgency ended—Russian secret services directed restive elements to the civil war in Syria, where many were killed—Dagestani élites have been at pains to demonstrate their loyalty whenever possible. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2022 Some of the most closely monitored employees in the country have become some of the most restive — warehouse workers attempting to unionize, truckers forming protest convoys. New York Times, 14 Aug. 2022 But these people used to multibillion-dollar sales and IPOs see a big opportunity in the atomized, restive condition of America’s workforce and the possibility of transforming it through a new era of unionization. Sam Deanstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English restyf, from Anglo-French restif, from rester to stop, resist, remain
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
restive
adjective
res·tive ˈre-stiv
: showing impatience, nervousness, or discomfort
a restive crowd
restiveness
noun
1
as in turmoil
a disturbed or uneasy state the nighttime tornado warnings were the likely source of the restiveness that could be felt all over town Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- turmoil
- unrest
- restlessness
- uneasiness
- unease
- tension
- excitement
- anxiety
- disquiet
- agitation
- confusion
- turbulence
- upheaval
- ferment
- agitation
- fermentation
- chaos
- disruption
- unsettlement
- trouble
- commotion
- unquietness
- anarchy
- disquietude
- storm
- tumult
- perturbation
- stir
- tumultuousness
- inquietude
- disorder
- Sturm und Drang
- fidgets
- hubbub
- queasiness
- uproar
- moil
- welter
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ease
- tranquillity
- peace
- tranquility
- calm
- quiet
- peacefulness
- order
- orderliness
2
as in unease
a state of nervousness marked by sudden jerky movements I sensed that his restiveness at breakfast probably had something to do with the big presentation he would be making at the sales conference Synonyms & Similar Words
- unease
- anxiety
- worry
- tension
- apprehensiveness
- nerves
- fidgetiness
- jumpiness
- skittishness
- jitteriness
- restlessness
- agitation
- edginess
- fidgets
- flightiness
- apprehension
- upset
- uneasiness
- anxiousness
- feverishness
- perturbation
- trepidation
- disquiet
- tenseness
- freneticism
- franticness
- agita
- jitters
- shakes
- hand-wringing
- shivers
- butterflies
- willies
- dither
- jimjams
- heebie-jeebies
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- confidence
- sureness
- self-assurance
- control
- self-confidence
- collectedness
- tranquility
- tranquillity
- calmness
- ease
- equanimity
- coolness
- imperturbability
- easiness
- composure
- equilibrium
- calm
- poise
- repose
- aplomb
- self-possession
- self-control
- tranquilness