Synonyms of restive

restive

adjective

ˈre-stiv 

1

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control

the restive horse threw its head and refused to move when the rider urged it forward

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rebellious
• rebel
• defiant
• stubborn
• unruly
• willful
• recalcitrant
• contrary
• obstreperous
• ungovernable
• wayward
• intractable
• wilful
• rigid
• dogged
• disobedient
• mischievous
• balky
• contumacious
• refractory
• insubordinate
• naughty
• dissident
• adamant
• insurgent
• wild
• unrelenting
• froward
• recusant
• untoward
• uncontrollable
• mutinous
• resistant
• uncooperative
• incompliant
• fractious
• rude
• obstinate
• bad
• peevish
• obdurate
• opinionated
• implacable
• headstrong
• unmanageable
• monkeying
• negativistic
• uncompromising
• noncooperative
• unbending
• mulish
• immovable
• pertinacious
• unyielding
• inflexible
• undisciplined
• disorderly
• hardheaded
• adamantine
• insolent
• ornery
• wrongheaded
• perverse
• impudent
• pigheaded
• self-willed
• errant
• disrespectful
• uncouth
• ungracious
• inconsiderate
• nonconformist
• uncivil
• unmannerly
• discourteous
• impertinent
• misbehaving
• impolite
• ill-natured
• ill-mannered
• monkeyish
• ill-bred

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• docile
• obedient
• submissive
• tractable
• cooperative
• amiable
• compliant
• amenable
• acquiescent
• agreeable
• conformable
• deferential
• biddable
• yielding
• behaved
• disciplined
• obliging
• respectful
• polite
• well-bred
• servile
• ruly
• courteous
• obsequious
• orderly
• subservient
• slavish
• proper
• decorous
• manageable
• controllable
• mannerly
• trainable
• governable
• kowtowing

2

as in restless

lacking or denying rest

spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

• restless
• uneasy
• troubled
• unquiet
• unrestful
• anxious
• unsettled
• agitated
• disturbed
• perturbed
• distressed
• fidgety
• tense
• upset
• nervous
• worried
• uptight
• jittery
• jumpy
• edgy
• nervy
• dithery
• het up
• aflutter
• hung up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quiet
• calm
• peaceful
• easy
• restful
• tranquil
• relaxing

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective restive contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of restive are balky, contrary, perverse, and wayward. While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

When would balky be a good substitute for restive?

The synonyms balky and restive are sometimes interchangeable, but balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

When can contrary be used instead of restive?

Although the words contrary and restive have much in common, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

When is perverse a more appropriate choice than restive?

In some situations, the words perverse and restive are roughly equivalent. However, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

When could wayward be used to replace restive?

While the synonyms wayward and restive are close in meaning, wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of restive

Iranian experts have long urged successive U.S. administrations to provide strike pay and other forms of aid to restive workers in the Islamic Republic, with a view to improving human rights and causing regime change from within. —Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2025

Some of the richest Gulf Arab countries, such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, will worry that the destabilizing effects of a heavy-handed regime change could stir their own sizable and restive Shia Muslim populations. —Matt Bradley, NBC news, 24 June 2025

The regime relies on repression—crackdowns, imprisonment, torture, executions—to maintain control of a stifled and restive population. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 June 2025

Soon thereafter, Russia wrested control of two restive regions of Georgia, effectively preventing the country’s accession to NATO. —Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2025

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