1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the restive horse threw its head and refused to move when the rider urged it forward
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2
as in restless
lacking or denying rest
spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restive
On Christmas Day in 1872, the atmosphere was restive among the forty female residents of a medical institution on the outskirts of St. Louis.
—
Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
The tear gas deployment followed the arrival of demonstrators who had traveled 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Pakistan's restive northwest to gather near Islamabad.
—Matthew Impelli, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
To force the restive plasma into submission, the geometrically simple tokamaks need additional features that increase their complexity and cost.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2024
Moreover, there are fears that Sunni extremist groups in Iran’s restive southern regions, such as those populated by Arab and Baluchi groups, may be emboldened by the victory of like-minded groups in Syria, risking further unrest at a time when the government is increasingly vulnerable.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for restive
Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
The tear gas deployment followed the arrival of demonstrators who had traveled 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Pakistan's restive northwest to gather near Islamabad.
—Matthew Impelli, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
To force the restive plasma into submission, the geometrically simple tokamaks need additional features that increase their complexity and cost.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2024
Moreover, there are fears that Sunni extremist groups in Iran’s restive southern regions, such as those populated by Arab and Baluchi groups, may be emboldened by the victory of like-minded groups in Syria, risking further unrest at a time when the government is increasingly vulnerable.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for restive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restive
Adjective
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In addition, parents who are too strict might even end up with kids who are extra rebellious.—
Taylor Grothe,
Parents,
26 Feb. 2025
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Boon will play Eddie Harrigan, Kevin’s rebellious son.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The restless mass of the glacier, constantly on the move, regularly sent atomic blasts down the ridge.—
Cassidy Randall,
Rolling Stone,
2 Mar. 2025
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Malnourished people are restless people, searching far and wide for a better life.—
Daphne Ewing-Chow,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The attacks started this week after reports emerged that Assad loyalists had ambushed and killed members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the rebel group that spearheaded the rebellion that ousted the former Syrian leader.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN,
9 Mar. 2025
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The singer and the songwriter traversed the frontlines of the urban guerrilla war that had consumed the city of Homs by that point, with one half of the city overtaken by regime soldiers and the other half controlled by rebel groups.—
Jawad Rizkallah,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images A defiant President Trump defended imposing new tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico – three of the United States' largest and most crucial trading partners – at a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.—
Obed Manuel,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
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President Donald Trump took a defiant victory lap in the House chamber on Tuesday night, using his address to a joint session of Congress to promote the flurry of drastic changes to domestic and foreign policy that his administration has made in just the first six weeks.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Another type of hyperpigmentation that kojic acid can help with is melasma—a stubborn and hard-to-treat skin condition characterized by splotchy, brown or grayish patches.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
4 Mar. 2025
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But four months after becoming the first Republican in two decades to win the popular vote, Trump faces a new reality of needing to tackle some of the most stubborn challenges awaiting any new president and deliver on his campaign promises to lower prices.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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