restive

Meaning

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

Synonyms

stubborn

anxious

jib

nervy

jumpy

uneasy

balk

fidgety

uptight

disobedient

wild

contrary

nervous

obstinate

overstrung

restless

balky

agitated

highly strung

high-strung

edgy

jittery

unquiet

unruly

recalcitrant

rusty

spirited

squirmy

stouthearted

be restive

troubled

ungratified

unmanageable

unsatisfied

wayward

worked up

worried

😟

worrisome

bent on

obstinant

difficult to tame

aflutter

cat-witted

antsy

bloody-minded

concerned

contumacious

defiant

difficile

discomposed

Translations

rétif

inquieto

unruhig

intranquilo

weerspannig

ανήσυχος

ongehoorzaam

nerveux

koppig

ongeduldig

strenuus

weerbarstig

obstinat

pertinaç

bockig

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹɛstɪv/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: restyf

In summary

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.