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restive

[ res-tiv ]
/ ˈrɛs tɪv /
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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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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use restive in a sentence

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
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