Master confusing words with ease
Restive vs. Restless
Restive
/ˈrɛstɪv/Examples:
The horse grew restive under the rider's tight grip.A restive crowd gathered outside the locked auditorium doors.His restive nature led him to wander from job to job.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Restless
/ˈrestləs/Examples:
She paced the room, feeling entirely restless.His restless nature led him to travel the world.After the long flight, she was too restless to sleep.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Think of restive as being in a state of resistance or impatience, often due to being controlled or kept in one place too long, like a horse that refuses to stand still.
- Restless implies a chronic inability to calm down or relax, like when you toss and turn in bed.
- Both words deal with a lack of calmness or tranquility, but restive often carries a nuance of rebellion, while restless is more about uninterrupted activity or movement.
- Remember restive has more in common with resist—it’s about being resistant to control.
- The word restless can apply to anything from a person to the weather—it's about never being still.
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