restive

adjective

res·​tive ˈre-stiv How to pronounce restive (audio)
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 The fighting quickly spread across the African country, especially urban areas but also the restive western Darfur region, and has so far killed at least 12,000 people and sent over 8 million fleeing from their homes. Deng MacHol, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 The exercise, the first for the island city of Ishigaki — closer to China and Taiwan than to the Japanese mainland — is being repeated across the country as increasingly restive neighbors heighten concerns about war. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 The fighting quickly spread across the African country, especially urban areas but also the restive western Darfur region, and has so far killed at least 12,000 people and sent over 8 million fleeing their homes, the report said. Jamey Keaten, The Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2024 McHenry said Johnson is still adjusting to the difficulties of leading a small and restive GOP majority. Major Garrett, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2024 There was a terrible attack in the restive province of Baluchistan on the eve of the election that killed 28 people. Ayesha Jalal, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2024 In a vivid illustration of the surging political violence in the run up to the vote, 30 people were killed in twin blasts targeting campaign offices in the country’s restive Balochistan province on Wednesday, which the Islamic State Pakistan Province militant group claimed responsibility for. Rhea Mogul, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 The Party’s restive far-right flank has already insured that this is basically an ungovernable House. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024 In the more than three months since Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis in a surprise attack and Israel responded with a punishing invasion of the Gaza Strip that has left more than 26,000 dead, President Biden has tried to keep hostilities from spreading in the restive region. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'restive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

restive

adjective
res·​tive ˈres-tiv How to pronounce restive (audio)
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

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