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Added 9 October 2026

restive

/ˈɹɛstɪv/ adjective

Latin root: restō Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about restive at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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

Origin

Modification of earlier restiff, from Middle English restyf, from Old French restif, from rester (“to stay, remain”), from Latin restō. * Shares an etymology with rest ("to 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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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