From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrestiveres‧tive /ˈrestɪv/ adjective written MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONdissatisfied or bored with your situation, and impatient for it to change Communist leaders struggled to rule over increasingly restive populations. —restively adverb —restiveness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
restive• The southern region was growing increasingly restive.• Another person joined the queue and the old lady immediately behind him began to look restive.• In the driving mirror I saw the driver of the estate-car was growing restive.• The men from Foss were restive.• Her restive fingers toyed with the battered keys.• If his wife is restive, he sees welfare as a positive invitation from the state for her to dissolve the marriage.• Similar appeals to restive Protestant gunmen came Thursday from civic and church leaders and government officials.Origin restive (1500-1600) Old French restif “refusing to move”, from rester; → REST1 