restive
6 synonyms and 4 antonyms for restive, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Feeling restless because you are being made to wait or are under someone else's control.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adj
Feeling restless because you are being made to wait or are under someone else's control.
“The horses were now more restive than ever, and Johann was trying to hold them in.”
Etymology
A modification of the earlier restiff, from Middle English restyf, from Old French restif, from rester (“to stay, remain”), from Latin restō. It shares an etymology with rest ("to remain," now obsolete). Merriam-Webster notes that the word was originally used of horses that disobeyed commands, so it presumably broadene...
Full origin of restive →