adj. 1. a. Uneasily impatient or hard to control under restriction, opposition, criticism, or delay: Passengers on board the delayed airliner began to grow restive. b. Characterized by impatience or an absence of calm; unsettled: had a restive feeling that something wasn't quite right. 2. Refusing to move. Used of a horse or other animal. [Middle English restif, stationary, from Old French, from rester, to remain, from Latin restāre, to keep back : re-, re- + stāre, to stand; see stā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] restive·ly adv. restive·ness n. |
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