2 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Restive \Rest"ive\ (r?st"?v), a. [OF. restif, F. r['e]tif, fr
L. restare to stay back withstand, resist. See {Rest}
remainder, and cf {Restiff}.] .
Unwilling to go on obstinate in refusing to move forward;
stubborn; drawing back
Restive or resty, drawing back instead of going
forward, as some horses do --E. Philips
(1658).
The people remarked with awe and wonder that the beasts
which were to drag him [Abraham Holmes] to the gallows
became restive, and went back --Macaulay.
2. Inactive; sluggish. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne.
3. Impatient under coercion, chastisement, or opposition;
refractory.
4. Uneasy; restless; averse to standing still fidgeting
about -- applied especially to horses. --Trench. --
{Rest"ive}, adv -- {Rest"ive*ness}, n.
From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]:
restive
adj 1: being in a tense state; easily upset [syn: {edgy}, {high-strung},
{in suspense(p)}, {jittery}, {jumpy}, {nervous}, {nervy},
{overstrung}, {uptight}]
2: impatient especially under restriction or delay; "the
government has done nothing to ease restrictions and
manufacturers are growing restive"
more about restive
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