# restive

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈɹɛstɪv/ · frequency rank #61,770

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

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/restive