Restive means impatient, restless, or resistant to control. A restive horse refuses to stand still or follow its rider's commands, tossing its head and stamping its hooves. A restive crowd grows increasingly agitated, unwilling to wait quietly any longer.

The word captures that fidgety, rebellious feeling when someone or something resists being controlled or made to wait. A class might become restive during a long, boring assembly, with students shifting in their seats and whispering to each other. Workers might grow restive under an unfair boss, becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

Restive is stronger than simply “restless” and implies active resistance. Someone restless might fidget because they're bored or energetic, but someone restive pushes back against constraints or authority. A restive crowd has moved beyond boredom to frustration and might soon refuse to cooperate at all.

Though it sounds like it should mean the opposite, the real opposite of restive is “calm” or “compliant.” When tension builds and patience runs thin, that's when people or animals become truly restive.