restive

Adjective

Synonyms: edgy high-strung highly strung jittery jumpy nervy overstrung uptight

WordNet 3.0

Adjective (2)

being in a tense stateSynonyms: edgy high-strung highly strung jittery jumpy nervy overstrung uptight
impatient especially under restriction or delay“the government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive”

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Restive \Rest"ive\ (r?st"?v), a. [OF. restif, F. r['e]tif, fr. L. restare to stay back, withstand, resist. See Rest remainder, and cf. Restiff.] . Unwilling to go on; obstinate in refusing to move forward; stubborn; drawing back. [1913 Webster]

Restive or resty, drawing back, instead of going forward, as some horses do. --E. Philips (1658). [1913 Webster]

The people remarked with awe and wonder that the beasts which were to drag him [Abraham Holmes] to the gallows became restive, and went back. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

2.Inactive; sluggish. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne. [1913 Webster]

3.Impatient under coercion, chastisement, or opposition; refractory. [1913 Webster]

4.Uneasy; restless; averse to standing still; fidgeting about; -- applied especially to horses. --Trench. [1913 Webster] -- Rest"ive, adv. -- Rest"ive*ness, n. [1913 Webster]