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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restive
Despite American claims that the attack on Bud Dajo would pacify the restive Moros, the unrest continued.
—
Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
But the raid is also shining a spotlight on the Palestinian Authority’s ability to impose order and security in a restive area.
—Majdi Mohammed and Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for restive
Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
But the raid is also shining a spotlight on the Palestinian Authority’s ability to impose order and security in a restive area.
—Majdi Mohammed and Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for restive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restive
Adjective
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On Wednesday, March 12, The Kardashians star was joined by her mother Kris Jenner for the latest episode of her Khloé in Wonderland podcast, where the two looked back at some of Khloé's rebellious childhood moments.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
12 Mar. 2025
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Mickey, tasked with keeping her rebellious sister in line, never had the opportunity to be a kid.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But not on this recent Wednesday — because the herd is restless.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
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After a restless night while a thunderstorm raged outside, Tess and Anna wake up not as themselves, but as two 14-year-old girls, Harper and Lily.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The attacks started this week after reports emerged that Assad loyalists had ambushed and killed members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the rebel group that spearheaded the rebellion that ousted the former Syrian leader.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN,
9 Mar. 2025
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The singer and the songwriter traversed the frontlines of the urban guerrilla war that had consumed the city of Homs by that point, with one half of the city overtaken by regime soldiers and the other half controlled by rebel groups.—
Jawad Rizkallah,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After being yelled at, children often feel defiant, defensive, and disconnected from their parent.—
Daryl Austin,
Parents,
14 Mar. 2025
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Their bleeding champion — at the time a former and future president — raises a defiant fist.—
John Scott Lewinski,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But four months after becoming the first Republican in two decades to win the popular vote, Trump faces a new reality of needing to tackle some of the most stubborn challenges awaiting any new president and deliver on his campaign promises to lower prices.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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Like this Fire sign, Drizella is unapologetically stubborn and impatience, believing she is entitled to nothing but the best.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restive. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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