Rest"ive (r?st"?v), a. [OF. restif, F. r'etif, fr. L. restare to stay back, withstand, resist. See Rest remainder, and cf. Restiff.] .

Unwilling to go on; obstinate in refusing to move forward; stubborn; drawing back.

Restive or resty, drawing back, instead of going forward, as some horses do. E. Philips (1658).

The people remarked with awe and wonder that the beasts which were to drag him [Abraham Holmes] to the gallows became restive, and went back. Macaulay.

2.

Inactive; sluggish.

Sir T. Browne.

3.

Impatient under coercion, chastisement, or opposition; refractory.

4.

Uneasy; restless; averse to standing still; fidgeting about; -- applied especially to horses.

Trench.

-- Rest"ive, adv. -- Rest"ive*ness, n.

© Webster 1913.