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.

Choose the Right Synonym for restive

contrary, perverse, restive, balky, wayward mean inclined to resist authority or control.

contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

Examples of restive in a Sentence

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On Christmas Day in 1872, the atmosphere was restive among the forty female residents of a medical institution on the outskirts of St. Louis. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 The tear gas deployment followed the arrival of demonstrators who had traveled 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Pakistan's restive northwest to gather near Islamabad. Matthew Impelli, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024 To force the restive plasma into submission, the geometrically simple tokamaks need additional features that increase their complexity and cost. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2024 Moreover, there are fears that Sunni extremist groups in Iran’s restive southern regions, such as those populated by Arab and Baluchi groups, may be emboldened by the victory of like-minded groups in Syria, risking further unrest at a time when the government is increasingly vulnerable. Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for restive 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of restive was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near restive

Cite this Entry

“Restive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restive. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

restive

adjective
1
: stubbornly fighting control : balky
a restive horse
2
: showing impatience or uneasiness : fidgety
the crowd grew restive
restively adverb
restiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on restive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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