restive

/ˈɹɛstɪv/

//ˈɹɛstɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"restive" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“restive” is uncommon English (frequency #61,770 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,770
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Impatient under delay, duress, or control.

Corpus desk

Index EN-restive · restive · English

restive · rank #61,770 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #61,770
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH restatement

Nearest frequency peer: restatement (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “restive”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “restive” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for restive
PropertyValue
Headwordrestive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹɛstɪv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#61,770
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “restive” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). restive lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

restive is uncommon English at frequency #61,770 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈɹɛstɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for restive in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Modification of earlier restiff, from Middle English restyf, from Old French restif, from rester (“stay, remain”), from Latin restō. * Shares an etymology with rest ("remain," obsolete) *Merriam-Webster states that this word was originally used to describe … The correct English form is restive, spelled R-E-S-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Impatient under delay, duress, or control.
  2. 2
    Resistant to control; stubborn.
  3. 3
    Refusing to move, especially in a forward direction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how restive appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The horses were now more restive than ever, and Johann was trying to hold them in.
  2. [...] news of their defeat had spread across the countryside and made the animals on the neighbouring farms more restive than ever.

Etymology

Modification of earlier restiff, from Middle English restyf, from Old French restif, from rester (“stay, remain”), from Latin restō. * Shares an etymology with rest ("remain," obsolete) *Merriam-Webster states that this word was originally used to describe horses that disobeyed commands. Presumably, then, the word came to mean "fidgety" or "anxious" more broadly.

This word in other languages

impaciente(Español)rétif(Français)störrisch(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "restive"?
"restive" is spelled R-E-S-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛstɪv/.
What does "restive" mean?
As an adjective, "restive" means: Impatient under delay, duress, or control.
How do you pronounce "restive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "restive" is /ˈɹɛstɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "restive"?
Modification of earlier restiff, from Middle English restyf, from Old French restif, from rester (“stay, remain”), from Latin restō. * Shares an etymology with rest ("remain," obsolete) *Merriam-Webster states that this word was originally used to... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "restive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Renwick#61,765reining#61,763recheck#61,755Segovia#61,802

What to do next

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Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list