restive

nervous, unquiet; recalcitrant, disobedient, obstinate, balky: a restive horse

Not to be confused with:

restless – agitated, fretful, without rest: restless night

res·tive

(rĕs′tĭv)

adj.

a. Uneasily impatient or hard to control under restriction, opposition, criticism, or delay: Passengers on board the delayed airliner began to grow restive.

b. Characterized by impatience or an absence of calm; unsettled: had a restive feeling that something wasn't quite right.

2. Refusing to move. Used of a horse or other animal.

[Middle English restif, stationary, from Old French, from rester, to remain, from Latin restāre, to keep back : re-, re- + stāre, to stand; see stā- in Indo-European roots.]

res′tive·ly adv.

res′tive·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

restive

(ˈrɛstɪv)

adj

1. restless, nervous, or uneasy

2. impatient of control or authority

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

ˈrestively adv

ˈrestiveness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

res•tive

(ˈrɛs tɪv)

adj.

1. impatient of control, restraint, or delay, as persons; restless; uneasy.

2. obstinately uncooperative; stubborn; balky.

[1375–1425; late Middle English restif stationary, balking < Old French: inert; see rest², -ive]

res′tive•ly, adv.

res′tive•ness, n.

restive

, restless - Restive means impatient or fidgety under pressure or restraint; restless is being uneasy, unquiet, or unable to relax or rest.

restive

adjective restless, nervous, uneasy, impatient, agitated, unruly, edgy, jittery (informal), recalcitrant, on edge, fractious, ill at ease, jumpy, fretful, fidgety, refractory, unquiet, antsy (informal) The audience grew restive.
content, relaxed, satisfied, calm, peaceful, at ease, serene, tranquil

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

restive

adjective

Feeling or exhibiting nervous tension:

edgy, fidgety, jittery, jumpy, nervous, restless, skittish, tense, twitchy.

Slang: uptight.

Idioms: a bundle of nerves, all wound up, on edge.

Translations

مُتَمَلْمِل، غَيْر مُرْتاح

netrpělivý

rastløsutilfreds

unruhig

impatient

eirîarlaus

irrequieto

neramus

nemierīgsnepacietīgs

kei

sabırsıztez canlı

倔强的焦躁不安的

restive

[ˈrestɪv] ADJ [person, audience, voters] → inquieto; [horse] → nervioso, inquieto
to get restive [person] → impacientarse; [horse] → ponerse nervioso or inquieto

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

restive

[ˈrɛstɪv] adj [person] → rétif/ive; [horse] → rétif/ive

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

restive

adj

horse (= stubborn) → störrisch; (= nervous) → unruhig

(= restless) person, manner → rastlos; tribes → widerspenstig, aufsässig

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

restive

[ˈrɛstɪv] adj (person) → irrequieto/a, nervoso/a, agitato/a; (horse) → restio/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

restive

(ˈrestiv) adjective

beginning to show displeasure, impatience, boredom etc eg at delay, discipline etc; restless.

ˈrestively adverb

ˈrestiveness noun

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Such remarks made Anne restive. Roy's wooing had certainly been as romantic as girlish heart could desire, but -- she wished Aunt Jamesina and the girls would not take things so for granted.

View in context

Driving was out of the question, because one of the horses was restive, and bolted in the shafts.

View in context

Since then I have seen many horses much alarmed and restive at the sight or sound of a steam engine; but thanks to my good master's care, I am as fearless at railway stations as in my own stable.

View in context

Yet I am of opinion, this defect arises chiefly from a perverse, restive disposition; for they are cunning, malicious, treacherous, and revengeful.

View in context

The other swore at his restive horse, and then cleared his throat.

View in context

As often happens, the horses of a convoy wagon became restive at the end of the bridge, and the whole crowd had to wait.

View in context

He was restive all through it; he kept tally of the details of the prayer, unconsciously -- for he was not listening, but he knew the ground of old, and the clergyman's regular route over it -- and when a little trifle of new matter was in- terlarded, his ear detected it and his whole nature re- sented it; he considered additions unfair, and scoun- drelly.

View in context

One morning when the rain streamed down unceasingly and Colin was beginning to feel a little restive, as he was obliged to remain on his sofa because it was not safe to get up and walk about, Mary had an inspiration.

View in context

Once or twice Jack seemed disposed to turn restive, but a vigorous and determined application of the whip from the ruthless hand of his master soon compelled him to submission, and Edward's dilated nostril expressed his triumph in the result of the contest; he scarcely spoke to me during the whole of the brief drive, only opening his lips at intervals to damn his horse.

View in context

This afternoon she was peculiarly restive. She would really like to do something of which her well-wishers disapproved.

View in context

"The thing has been seriously proposed," replied the doctor, "but I think it hardly practicable with creatures naturally so restive."

View in context

It was in the full of the moon that she was most restive, but I brought her back, and at first she could have bit my hand, but then she came willingly.

View in context

Adj.	1.	restive - being in a tense state edgy, highly strung, high-strung, jumpy, nervy, overstrung, uptight, jittery tense - in or of a state of physical or nervous tension
	2.	restive - impatient especially under restriction or delay; "the government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive" impatient - restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition; "impatient with the slower students"; "impatient of criticism"