The politician's unctuous smile failed to calm the restive crowd demanding real answers.
Source: tatoeba (13562105)
Restive
//ˈɹɛstɪv//
Synonyms for "restive" (195 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (39)
Strong matches (59)
Related words (97)
laggardloathmalcontentmalcontentedmulishmurmuringmutteringnervyobstinateobstreperouson edgeopinionatedorneryout of handout of humoroverzealouspeevishperfunctoryperseveringpertinacious
Show 63 more words
perversepetulantpigheadedquerulantquerulousrebelliousrecalcitrantrefractoryreluctantrenitentresentfulresistantresistingrestlessself-willedsetshrewishskittishslowslow tosquirmingsquirmystiff neckedstiff-neckedstrong willedstrong-willedstrongheadedstubbornsulkysullentenacioustenseunacceptingunaccommodatingunbiddableuncontrollableuncooperativeuneasyunenthusiasticunfulfilledungovernableungovernedungratifiedunhappyunmalleableunmanageableunmoldableunpatientunquietunregenerateunrestfulunrulyunsatisfiedunsettledunsubmissiveuntamableunzealousuptightwaywardwhinywildwillfulwrongheaded
Adjective(3 words)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
Translations
19 translations across 7 languages.
Bulgarian
4 entries- непокорен adj (resistant of control; stubborn)
- нервен adj (impatient, under delay, duress, or control.)
- неспокоен adj (impatient, under delay, duress, or control.)
- опак adj (resistant of control; stubborn)
Czech
4 entries- nedočkavý adj (impatient, under delay, duress, or control.)
- neklidný adj (impatient, under delay, duress, or control.)
- neposlušný adj (resistant of control; stubborn)
- netrpělivý adj (impatient, under delay, duress, or control.)
Dutch
3 entries- eigengereid, koppig adj (resistant of control; stubborn)
- ongeduldig adj (impatient, under delay, duress, or control.)
- weerbarstig adj (refusing to move, especially in a forward direction)
French
2 entries- rétif adj (resistant of control; stubborn)
- rétif adj (refusing to move, especially in a forward direction)
German
1 entries- störrisch adj (resistant of control; stubborn)
Persian
1 entries- چموش adj (impatient, under delay, duress, or control.)
Spanish
3 entries- impaciente adj (impatient, under delay, duress, or control.)
- recalcitrante adj (resistant of control; stubborn)
- terco adj (resistant of control; stubborn)
Sample sentences
8 total sentences available.
The boardroom grew restive when the CEO discussed complex arbitrage strategies no one fully understood.
Source: tatoeba (13562117)
The horses were now more restive than ever, and Johann was trying to hold them in.
Source: wiktionary
[...] news of their defeat had spread across the countryside and made the animals on the neighbouring farms more restive than ever.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 8 available sentences.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.