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.
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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:
- Restive is often associated with impatience or difficulty in control, particularly in animals or people waiting for something.
- Restless indicates an inability to stay still or a constant desire to move or change direction or activity.
- Restive often implies a sort of rebellion or resistance to control, while restless is more about the lack of peace or calm.
- Think of restive as being related to control issues, and restless more about internal discomfort.
- Restive tends to apply to situations or individuals that are unmanageable, whereas restless is usually an internal state.
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