Restless
Restless adjective - Lacking or denying rest.
Usage example: the worried mother spent a restless night, tossing and turning in bed for hours
Restive is a synonym for restless in tighten topic. In some cases you can use "Restive" instead an adjective "Restless", when it comes to topics like agitated, nervous, uneasy, unsettled. popular alternative
Restive
Restive adjective - Lacking or denying rest.
Usage example: spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam
Restless is a synonym for restive in impatient topic. You can use "Restless" instead an adjective "Restive", if it concerns topics such as tighten, agitated, nervous, jumpy. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Cite this Source
Restive and Restless. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/restless/restive
Restless & Restive. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/restless/restive>.
Restive or Restless. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/restless/restive.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "restless" and "restive" have occurred on timeline