Restive Definition
rĕstĭv
adjective
Hard to control; unruly; refractory.
Webster's New World
Refusing to go forward; balky, as a horse.
Webster's New World
Nervous or impatient under pressure or restraint; restless; unsettled.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Origin of Restive
-
Middle English restif stationary from Old French from rester to remain from Latin restāre to keep back re- re- stāre to stand stā- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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