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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Recent Examples of restive
In recent years, Chinese prosecutors have leveled the charge against Uyghurs, a minority group in the restive far western region of Xinjiang.
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Bloomberg News, TIME, 6 Sep. 2024
Fears of a populist resurgence are rippling across Europe — from Italy, where a right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, will play host at the Group of 7 meeting, to France and Germany, where leaders are facing rising discontent and restive challengers on the right.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 2 June 2024
In recent weeks, Beijing has confronted an increasingly restive population, including the most widespread antigovernment protests the country has witnessed in decades.
—Arvind Subramanian, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2022
Catch up quick: China spearheaded a previous wave of AI development focused on image recognition and computer vision — technology that the government put to repressive use in the restive Xinjiang region.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for restive 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restive
Adjective
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The current state of his ’stache, more tweezed than Hughes’s rebellious bushy caterpillar, is owed to that role.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
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Tired of the toxic culture within the group, Veronica teams up with her rebellious new boyfriend, J.D. (played by Christian Slater), and things quickly spiral out of control as their plot to take down the Heathers turns deadly.Jane LaCroix, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Popular on Variety The result is a film that mirrors the restless spirit of its subjects while breaking all of the rules of traditional documentary filmmaking.William Earl, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
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Kamala’s Glock and Camo hats on their own just weren’t enough to sway restless voters in the middle.Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The rebel spark in my heart, though, wasn’t completely snuffed.Lili Anolik, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
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Over the past year, the conflict between rebel forces and government troops in Myanmar has brought new refugees to the settlements.Maria Isabel Barros Guinle, NPR, 1 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Even so, Mars’ defiant punk energy can draw some stares from the neighbors back home.Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
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Her eyes are an expressive window into the character’s lifetime of hurt and exclusion or defiant pride and anger, sometimes spanning that range and more within one scene or song or single line reading.David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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This powerful, palm-sized tool hits the town on stubborn breakouts with a potent blend of blue (415 nm) and red (630 nm) light therapies.Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Nov. 2024
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Here are some thought on how to approach those difficult but necessary discussions with a stubborn parent who refuses to plan for the future.Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near restive
Cite this Entry
“Restive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restive. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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