RESTIVE Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'restive' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of restive are balky , contrary , perverse , and wayward . 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 growing restive

Q: When would 'balky' be a good substitute for 'restive'?

The synonyms balky and restive are sometimes interchangeable, but balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action. // a balky witness

Q: When can 'contrary' be used instead of 'restive'?

Although the words contrary and restive have much in common, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice. // a contrary child

Q: When is 'perverse' a more appropriate choice than 'restive'?

In some situations, the words perverse and restive are roughly equivalent. However, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal. // a perverse , intractable critic

Q: When could 'wayward' be used to replace 'restive'?

While the synonyms wayward and restive are close in meaning, wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior. // a school for wayward youths

restive

adjective

ˈre-stiv

Definition of restive next

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in restless

lacking or denying rest spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective restive contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of restive are balky, contrary, perverse, and wayward. 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 growing restive

When would balky be a good substitute for restive?

The synonyms balky and restive are sometimes interchangeable, but balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

When can contrary be used instead of restive?

Although the words contrary and restive have much in common, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

When is perverse a more appropriate choice than restive?

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

a perverse, intractable critic

When could wayward be used to replace restive?

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

a school for wayward youths

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of restive The club has spent much of this season engaged in a bout of restive soul-searching. —

Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 May 2024 But Israel is restive and could escalate its efforts to sabotage Tehran’s military and nuclear programs. —

Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2023 Yet activists fear Prabowo’s rise will herald an erosion of democracy and emboldening of a military already accused of serious abuses in restive minority regions. —

Charlie Campbell / Jakarta, TIME, 14 Oct. 2024 But for all their bluster, China’s leaders are deeply anxious about the emerging order in Afghanistan, which could threaten the region’s stability and enable jihadi terror to spill over into China’s restive western regions, which are home to large Muslim populations. —

Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2021 See all Example Sentences for restive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for restive

Adjective

Americans are a rebellious bunch, so trying to stop a political figure by nearly killing him provokes the opposite reaction.

Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
More recently, however, Ocasio-Cortez has shown signs of abandoning at least some of the rebellious positions that defined her earliest years in office.

Hanna Trudo, The Hill, 22 Dec. 2024