Synonyms ofrestive

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restive

adjective

as inrebellious

given to resisting authority or another's controltherestive horse threw its head and refused to move when the rider urged it forward

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as inrestless

lacking or denying restspent arestive night worrying about the next day's exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjectiverestive contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms ofrestive arebalky,contrary,perverse, andwayward. While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control,"restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growingrestive

When wouldbalky be a good substitute forrestive?

The synonymsbalky andrestive are sometimes interchangeable, butbalky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

abalky witness

When cancontrary be used instead ofrestive?

Although the wordscontrary andrestive have much in common,contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

acontrary child

When isperverse a more appropriate choice thanrestive?

In some situations, the wordsperverse andrestive are roughly equivalent. However,perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

aperverse, intractable critic

When couldwayward be used to replacerestive?

While the synonymswayward andrestive are close in meaning,wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school forwayward youths

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage.Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.Send us feedback.

Recent Examples ofrestiveBut Huntington was trying to account for the third-world basket cases of his time—poor countries whoserestivemasses kept their governments constantly off-balance.—

Moisés Naím,The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2025At the time, Moscow and Washington jockeyed for influence in a swathe ofrestiveAfrican lands, including Mozambique, Angola, Namibia and ultimately South Africa.—

Alan Cowell,New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025Three soldiers who had been guarding the railroad track were also killed in the attack that began Tuesday inrestiveBalochistan province, the military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, told local media.—

arkansasonline.com, 13 Mar. 2025The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group active in therestiveand mineral-rich Balochistan province, claimed responsibility for the attack.—

Sophia Saifi,CNN, 12 Mar. 2025See All Example Sentences forrestive

Recent Examples of Synonyms forrestive

Adjective

Lesser powers that find themselves under the dominion of a great power against their wishes can be resentful andrebellious.
— Margaret MacMillan,The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
In 1978, an ambitious andrebelliousyoung woman, Marina Bulgari, decamped from her family business to branch out with her own jewelry brand.
— Roxanne Robinson,Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Definition ofrebellious

Adjective

At one point, the crowd in Los Angeles was growingrestless, Ms. Reese said, with people pushing one another to reach the front.
— Alisha Haridasani Gupta,New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Last weekend, the sun was particularlyrestless, unleashing eight M-class solar flares between Friday and Monday.
— Jamie Carter,Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Definition ofrestless

Adjective

Plutarch, future Head Gamemaker of the 75th Hunger Games and commander of therebelforces, is a young Capitol cameraman in this timeline who is tasked with documenting the tributes of District 12.
— EW.com,EW.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The civil war in Sudan, between the government’s SAF and therebelRapid Support Forces (RSF), has just passed its grisly second anniversary.
— Paul Tilsley,FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Definition ofrebel

Adjective

But beneath Pakistan’s drumbeat ofdefiantdeclarations as tensions erupt with India, a weary Pakistani public sees war as the last thing the country needs.
— Salman Masood,New York Times, 2 May 2025
Rank-and-file members of the Brotherhood already strike adefianttone, vowing to continue to organize, protest, and voice criticism of both the Jordanian authorities and the war in Gaza.
— Taylor Luck,Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2025

Definition ofdefiant

Adjective

Outside of Washington, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s followers appear to be scrambling the country'sstubbornred-blue divideUSA TODAYTexas is looking at bills to bring back exercise.
— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,USA Today, 4 May 2025
The following day, however, Mercury will meet Mars in astubbornsquare, triggering a clash between the need for practicality and discernment versus the desire to express oneself boldly and with pride.
— Staff Author,People.com, 1 May 2025