restive
adjective/ˈrestɪv/
/ˈrestɪv/
(formal)- unable to stay still, or unwilling to be controlled, especially because you feel bored or not satisfied
- The crowd was growing increasingly restive.
- The news was relayed to the restive citizens.
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from Old French restif, -ive, from Latin restare ‘remain’. The original sense, ‘inclined to remain still’, has been reversed; the association with the uncontrollable movements of a horse gave rise to the current sense ‘restless’.Definitions on the go
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restive