restive
[ res-tiv ]
adjective
impatient of control, restraint, or delay, as persons; restless; uneasy.
refractory; stubborn.
refusing to go forward; balky: a restive horse.
Origin of restive
1Other words for restive
Opposites for restive
Other words from restive
- res·tive·ly, adverb
- res·tive·ness, noun
Words that may be confused with restive
- restful, restive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for restive
restive
/ (ˈrɛstɪv) /
adjective
restless, nervous, or uneasy
impatient of control or authority
Origin of restive
1C16: from Old French restif balky, from rester to remain
Derived forms of restive
- restively, adverb
- restiveness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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