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

Moving out of Seattle also put almost 2,000 miles between the company’s top brass and its restive unions, which might have been one of the biggest attractions from the corner-office point of view. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2025

After South Sudan declared independence, the regions bordering the breakaway country remained restive, and the Bashir regime began deploying a new paramilitary force there. —Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025

Finding their tear gas ineffective in the freshening spring breeze and the crowd increasingly restive, the guardsmen retreated a short way. —Kalyan Singhal, Baltimore Sun, 5 May 2025

At least six people, including four schoolchildren, were killed when a bomb hit a school bus in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan Province on Wednesday morning, officials said, the latest outbreak of violence in a region plagued by separatist insurgency and militancy. —Zia Ur-Rehman, New York Times, 21 May 2025

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