restive

[ res-tiv ]
/ ˈrɛs tɪv /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR restive ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

impatient of control, restraint, or delay, as persons; restless; uneasy.
refractory; stubborn.
refusing to go forward; balky: a restive horse.

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DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of restive

1375–1425; rest2 + -ive; replacing late Middle English restif stationary, balking < Old French: inert

OTHER WORDS FROM restive

res·tive·ly, adverbres·tive·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH restive

restful restive

Words nearby restive

resting cell, resting place, resting tidal volume, restitute, restitution, restive, restless, restless cavy, restless legs syndrome, resto, restock
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to restive

restless, uneasy, tense, unruly, recalcitrant, agitated, jittery, fractious, balky, contrary, edgy, fidgety, fretful, froward, jumpy, nervy, obstinate, ornery, perverse, refractory

Example sentences from the Web for restive

British Dictionary definitions for restive

restive
/ (ˈrɛstɪv) /

adjective

restless, nervous, or uneasy
impatient of control or authority

Derived forms of restive

restively, adverbrestiveness, noun

Word Origin for restive

C16: from Old French restif balky, from rester to remain
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