adj
restive
Restive (adj) means feeling restless because you are being made to wait or are under someone else's control.
adj
1
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."
— Bram Stoker, Dracula's Guest (1914)
"But a restive class of Google executives worry that the company is showing cracks."
— Daisuke Wakabayashi, Google Executives See Cracks in Their Company’s Success (2021)
2
Hard to control and unwilling to obey.
3
Unwilling to move, particularly forwards.
Easily confused with
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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 broadened from there to mean fidgety or anxious generally.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for restive
See all rhymes for restive →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of restive?
"restive" (adj) means feeling restless because you are being made to wait or are under someone else's control.
What is another word for restive?
Other words for "restive" include uptight, jittery, edgy, overstrung, jumpy, nervy.
What is the opposite of restive?
Opposites of "restive" include tractable, docile, manageable, obedient.
What are the different meanings of restive?
"restive" has 3 main meanings: 1. Feeling restless because you are being made to wait or are under someone else's control; 2. Hard to control and unwilling to obey; 3. Unwilling to move, particularly forwards.
