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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restless
lacking or denying rest
spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restive
Advertisement Advertisement The Trump Administration brokered a cease-fire between Israel and Syria, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said on Friday, but some within the Administration have grown restive over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recalcitrance, Axios reported on Sunday.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 22 July 2025
But the increasing Muslim majority was growing restive.
—John Carlisle, Freep.com, 31 May 2025
While Pakistani security forces frequently target TTP hideouts in the restive northwest and elsewhere, such operations in Kashmir are rare.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025
The event threatened to inflame tensions that are rife in the restive city amid nearly 600 days of war in Gaza.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for restive
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 22 July 2025
But the increasing Muslim majority was growing restive.
—John Carlisle, Freep.com, 31 May 2025
While Pakistani security forces frequently target TTP hideouts in the restive northwest and elsewhere, such operations in Kashmir are rare.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025
The event threatened to inflame tensions that are rife in the restive city amid nearly 600 days of war in Gaza.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for restive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restive
Adjective
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The Western world is experiencing something of a psychedelic renaissance, with an increasing amount of interest in drugs that decades ago were considered rebellious and dangerous to some groups but fun to others who used it while clubbing and attending raves.—
Soph Warnes,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
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Bob and Zoyd are both paranoid in the wake of their rebellious pasts.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The company’s movement language—restless, precise, elastic—has built a home for stories that were long told elsewhere, or not at all.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
29 Sep. 2025
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Their deeper role is to host inquietud—the restless desire to know more, to question assumptions, to look for connections across disciplines and geographies.—
Javier Garcia del Moral
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Nine months after the longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a rebel offensive, Syria faces a litany of new challenges.—
Caroline Rose,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Sep. 2025
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Iran and later Russia dispatched troops to save him, while Turkey and Gulf states backed rebel militias.—
Robin Yassin-Kassab,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Palestinian Authority president vowed to world leaders that Hamas would have no role in governing post-war Gaza, in a defiant United Nations speech Thursday.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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In a similar way, a man who is defiant stiffens his neck, squares his shoulders, lowers his brows, and clenches his fists with his knuckles forward.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For years, scientists have focused on finding ways to neutralize or eliminate this stubborn waste.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
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That ever-persistent chasm that has existed between white students and those of color in public schools has remained stubborn in Michigan, where more than 18% of Michigan's public school students are Black.—
Lily Altavena,
Freep.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restive. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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