restive or restless? Because they are similar not only in form but also in meaning, tThese two words are difficult to keep apart. Restive means ‘difficult to control or keep still’: children and horses are commonly described as restive, as are and the word is also applied to people who get impatient with restrictions placed on them: The military were growing restive and kept urging the government to act. Restless (‘fidgety’, ‘unable to rest’, or ‘constantly moving’) is applied much more widely than restive – not only to people, but also to movements and things: restless pacing to and fro; a restless night