restivein a sentence
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Employees became restive as management grew increasingly more demanding.
restive = uneasy, impatient, and difficult to control
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Will stirred, restively.
(source)
restively = uneasily or impatiently
- Lane was shifting restively in his chair, (source)
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[NUGGET mimes restiveness.]
(source)
restiveness = skittishness (tension, fidgeting, and desire to flee)
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They had all the more reason for doing so because the news of their defeat had spread across the countryside and made the animals on the neighboring farms more restive than ever.
(source)
restive = impatient and difficult to control
- And she understood Louie's restiveness.† (source)
- He became increasingly restive.† (source)
- Mr. Sparling became restive and bitter and began to talk in a desolate monotone about his eleven months in France during the Great War.† (source)
- See, the rest o' the tribe ...Aragog's family ....they're gettin' a bit funny now he's ill...bit restive ...† (source)
- Small wonder the lords of the Vale were restive.† (source)
- Even the room felt restive: The afternoon sun lit up an atomic flurry of dust motes.† (source)
show 111 more with this conextual meaning
- She's getting restive.† (source)
- The cattle were restive too, mosquitoes around their eyes and in their nostrils.† (source)
- Except for an occasional and unaccountable insurgent who chose a restive black, they married "up," lightening the family complexion and thinning out the family features.† (source)
- It's a high rackety noise that makes Russ think of restive waiting in a train station.† (source)
- Paul was restive in his clumsy cast, and angry because he yearned to get back to his clinic in Cange.† (source)
- As would be said within his own family, "The only impatience of temper he ever exhibited was with his horse, which he subdued to his will by a fearless application of the whip on the slightest manifestation of restiveness."† (source)
- While their doing so was all to the good in itself, some of them were growing restive and hard to manage.† (source)
- Many of the people in the ANC were restive, and in September, at a press conference, I said that the continuing violence might necessitate taking up arms once more.† (source)
- A smaller and lighter horse, but restive and fiery, was brought to Legolas.† (source)
- I rose carefully and stepped back and buckled my trousers, wanting desperately to wake her and kiss her on the mouth but instead letting her remain, recalling how restive and sleepless she said she'd been.† (source)
- The remark did not meet with a favorable reception in some of the more restive banlieues.† (source)
- Lee held the restive horse while Mrs. Bacon was helped up into the rig.† (source)
- The people were already in the gas chamber and becoming restive, and I had to act.† (source)
- Nevertheless, he had a terrible sense of things in motion, secret powers at work in the ancient plaster walls, devouring and building, and forces growing and restive in the trees, the very earth itself succinct with spirit.† (source)
- He understands, their mother thought; and tried not to feel hurt by Catherine's restiveness.† (source)
- She grew restive during the discussion and finally began to collect her things to leave.
- The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing increasingly restive.
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The brush along the road stirred restively under a new and unexpected population of gray tigers and gray bears.
(source)
restively = uneasily
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Almost hiding there, though I was sure—even as young and earnest and fearful as I was—it was not just from me; it was from that place and time, the whole picture and small detail, from the homely, dim structure about us, the squalor of the heavy air, from the ennui and restiveness of the entire encampment, the surreally distant war, and then of course from who I was as well.†
(source)
restiveness = uneasiness, impatience, or difficult to control
- The restiveness, the self-consciousness, and the need to oppose disappeared.† (source)
- But he got up from the piano bench too restively for it to have been a real gesture of dismissal.† (source)
- He relit his cigar, then hunched forward, restively, both arms on the cherrywood surface.† (source)
- She straightened her back restively.† (source)
- His voice carried with a minimum of vitality, as though he had come over to speak to Lane out of boredom or restiveness, not for any sort of human discourse.† (source)
- Yet listening as intently as she could, she was not at all sure that there was any sound; and whoever or whatever it might be, she became sure that it was no child, for she felt in it a terrible forcefulness, and concern, and restiveness, which were no part of any child.† (source)
- So after gazing coldly at each other for a little while, they once more looked into the side yard and down into the street and tried to interest themselves in what they saw, and to forget the thing which so powerfully pervaded their thoughts, and to subdue their physical restiveness in order that they should not be disapproved; and tiring of these, would look over once more at their aunt, who was as aloof almost as their father; and uneased by that, would look once more into each other's eyes; and so again to the yard and the street, upon which the sunlight moved slowly.† (source)
- By the time they turned to history, Young Griff was growing restive.† (source)
- Chapter 3 — MEAN, RESTIVE, AND RAGGED.† (source)
- He spoke of ships long lost and battles eight hundred years forgotten, and the crowd grew restive.† (source)
- Restive, he stalked the fences on his lame leg.† (source)
- A mile or two along in the day, Memphis began to grow restive, flicking his ears and looking around.† (source)
- I imagined him receiving this message, restive in a Bavarian castle.† (source)
- For in the new dark, the restive herd of old men shambled forward, hearts hammering.† (source)
- He was beginning to feel restive and would have liked some female company.† (source)
- At the end of a couple of hours Alf was restive.† (source)
- The realm grows restive.† (source)
- And yet she seemed restive.† (source)
- He had grown more restive every day they waited; much longer and he would have been fit to whelp cubs.† (source)
- King Hizdahr's pit fighters were already growing bored and restive with their new duties, and bored men were lax, slow to react.† (source)
- A young jockey named George Woolf, aboard for one of these woeful performances, summed up the colt's mental state in four words: "mean, restive and ragged.† (source)
- By the time all the new knights had been given their sers the hall was growing restive, and none more so than Joffrey.† (source)
- Call and Augustus loped out and met them a half mile away, for the herd was looking restive at the sight of the riders.† (source)
- It became strange, and restive, that it was possible for anyone to lie so still for so long; yet he knew that his father would never move again; yet this knowledge made his motionlessness no less strange.† (source)
- by, intruding on their privacy, and disappeared, as someone nearly always did, and then relaxed sharply into the pleasure of their privacy; but this time Rufus' father did not hum, nor did he say anything, nor even touch the rock with his hand, but sat with his hands hung between his knees and looked out over North Knoxville, hearing the restive assemblage of the train; and after there had been silence for a while, raised his head and looked up into the leaves and between the leaves into the broad stars, not smiling, but with his eyes more calm and grave and his mouth strong and more quiet, than Rufus had ever seen his eyes and his mouth; and as he watched his father's face, Rufus fel† (source)
- Ma stirred restively, but she held her peace.† (source)
- And the restiveness spread to all of them.† (source)
- The men stirred restively, and they studied the darkening ground in front of their knees.† (source)
- [restively] I quite expect to get married in the course of the afternoon† (source)
- —he corrected himself hurriedly—"don't be vexed with me for my restiveness, I beg you again.† (source)
- But as Claggart went on, the former's aspect changed into restiveness under something in the witness' manner in giving his testimony.† (source)
- They were all becoming restive under the monotonous persistence of the missionary.† (source)
- Someone in the congregation gave a little snort, like that of a restive horse.† (source)
- The room was warm; the stagnant air had lulled even the most restive.† (source)
- Katczinsky is restive, that's a bad sign.† (source)
- Mammy shifted from one foot to another like a restive elephant.† (source)
- In the distance, the Jesus-lovers watched their restive children.† (source)
- and she again, still without moving, not stirring so much as a muscle, as if she stood on the outside of the thicket into which she had cajoled the animal which she knew was watching her though she could not see it, not quite cringing, not in any terror or even alarm but in that restive light incorrigibility of the free which would leave not even a print on the earth which lightly bore it and she not daring to put out the hand with which she could have actually touched it but instead just speaking to it, her voice soft and swooning, filled with that seduction, that celestial promise which is the female's weapon: 'Call me Aun† (source)
- During the last groggy stretch I couldn't any longer stay in and went into the street with him where the cries about him made him restive.† (source)
- The spectators became restive, wondering what the hitch was, and why the trial by battle did not proceed in the usual way.† (source)
- I kept looking at Maxim, but he gave no sign, and then Giles embarked upon a story, rather difficult to follow, about digging a car out of a snow-drift — what had started the train of thought I could not tell — and I listened to him politely, nodding my head now and again and smiling, aware of Maxim becoming restive at his end of the table.† (source)
- Saturday afternoons too he spends there, alone now, with the other workmen all down town in their Sunday clothes and neckties, in that terrific and aimless and restive idleness of men who labor.† (source)
- A half-million people moving over the country; a million more restive, ready to move; ten million more feeling the first nervousness.† (source)
- On the morning of the dinner, Mrs. Babbitt was restive.† (source)
- The other swore at his restive horse, and then cleared his throat.† (source)
- This afternoon she was peculiarly restive.† (source)
- And the horses, restive, not wholly recovered from fright, needed no urging.† (source)
- A bunch of lean, racy mustangs, restive and spirited, stood near by in charge of an Indian.† (source)
- You know that I broke the leaders myself, and the pole-horses are too near my whip to be restive.† (source)
- In fact, precisely as a rash, restive horse is said to feel his oats, so Turkey felt his coat.† (source)
- These two seemed to keep at a distance from the fire, that the horse might not become restive.† (source)
- Driving was out of the question, because one of the horses was restive, and bolted in the shafts.† (source)
- The crowd is restive in the presence of the impulses of paladins.† (source)
- Her manner was restive, for she remembered her promise, and imagined what he was about to say.† (source)
- Joe Lake appeared to be busy keeping a red mule and a wild gray mustang and a couple of restive blacks in the trail.† (source)
- The horses were restive.† (source)
- MY DEAR BOY: All you need tell me of yourself is that you still are; for the rest I merely search back in a restive memory, a thermometer that records only fevers, and match you with what I was at your age.† (source)
- Marguerite had hailed the notion of it with delight....Sir Percy was an enthusiastic whip; his four thoroughbreds, which had been sent down to Dover a couple of days before, were just sufficiently fresh and restive to add zest to the expedition and Marguerite revelled in anticipation of the few hours of solitude, with the soft night breeze fanning her cheeks, her thoughts wandering, whither away?† (source)
- The mustang turned in the gate, slid to a stop, and stood quivering, restive, tossing its thoroughbred head, black as a coal, with freedom and fire in every line.† (source)
- And then, one evening, about a fortnight later, when the girl, growing restive at even devotional exercises, clamoured once more to be allowed to go for a walk with Edward, and when Leonora was really at her wits' end, Edward gave himself into her hands.† (source)
- She became restive, insisted upon her rights, and finally announced her positive intention of going to a certain ball.† (source)
- He was in charge of the sanatorium, its highest authority—and Hans Castorp's heart felt a restive longing for paternal authority.† (source)
- He was restive all through it; he kept tally of the details of the prayer, unconsciously —for he was not listening, but he knew the ground of old, and the clergyman's regular route over it—and when a little trifle of new matter was interlarded, his ear detected it and his whole nature resented it; he considered additions unfair, and scoundrelly.† (source)
- With his gray glance cold on the Mormons, with the restive bit-champing of the horses, with Jane failing to repress her mounting agitations, with Venters standing pale and still, the tension of the moment tightened.† (source)
- Tom grew restive.† (source)
- One morning when the rain streamed down unceasingly and Colin was beginning to feel a little restive, as he was obliged to remain on his sofa because it was not safe to get up and walk about, Mary had an inspiration.† (source)
- Twice the workers saw Silvermane standing on open high ridges, restive and suspicious, with his silver mane flying, and his head turned over his shoulder, watching, always watching.† (source)
- Moreover, Leo's restive mind and sophistry soon showed a rebellious streak; he made the acquaintance of the son of a social-democratic member of the Reichsrat, and following the lead of this hero of the masses, had directed his mind along political paths, turning his passion for logic to the field of social criticism.† (source)
- Such music is not for the piano, and her audience began to get restive, and Cecil, sharing the discontent, called out: "Now play us the other garden—the one in Parsifal."† (source)
- It is only when you have mastered a restive horse, or thrashed a drayman, or have got a gun in your hand, that these shy juniors feel you to be a truly admirable and enviable character.† (source)
- This reply was made while Gurth was buckling on the Knight's heels a pair of large gilded spurs, capable of convincing any restive horse that his best safety lay in being conformable to the will of his rider.† (source)
- "It's the only thing ye ever was persistent in, Lord knows!" muttered Aunt Chloe, who was getting rather restive; the merriment of the evening being to her somewhat after the Scripture comparison,—like "vinegar upon nitre."† (source)
- As often happens, the horses of a convoy wagon became restive at the end of the bridge, and the whole crowd had to wait.† (source)
- Once he spoke in low, quick tones to his companion, and he stirred the boughs with his feet like an animal that is restive.† (source)
- As it was, I at length grew restive in the extreme under his distasteful supervision, and daily resented more and more openly what I considered his intolerable arrogance.† (source)
- And, take note, that all my life she held a document over me, the IOU for thirty thousand roubles, so if I were to elect to be restive about anything I should be trapped at once!† (source)
- But Dick got rather restive under so much ancient history: besides, I suspect he wanted to keep me as fresh as he could for his great-grandfather.† (source)
- She returned on the morrow to Florence, under her cousin's escort, and Ralph Touchett, though usually restive under railway discipline, thought very well of the successive hours passed in the train that hurried his companion away from the city now distinguished by Gilbert Osmond's preference—hours that were to form the first stage in a larger scheme of travel.† (source)
- Mr Pancks was the third, and carried his hat under his arm for the liberation of his restive hair; the weather being extremely hot.† (source)
- Rostov's horse was also getting restive: it pawed the frozen ground, pricking its ears at the noise and looking at the lights.† (source)
- To the carriage, instead of the restive Raven, they had harnessed, thanks to the representations of Marya Philimonovna, the bailiff's horse, Brownie, and Darya Alexandrovna, delayed by anxiety over her own attire, came out and got in, dressed in a white muslin gown.† (source)
- "I tell you, woman," exclaimed Deerslayer, whose imagination was far from seconding the appeal of the widow, and who began to grow restive under the vivid pictures she was drawing, "all this is nothing to me.† (source)
- He gave an angry thrust to his horse, which had grown restive under him, and plunged into the water, heading for the deepest part where the current was swift.† (source)
- Troy introduced himself to the manager by taming a restive horse of the troupe, hitting a suspended apple with a pistol-bullet fired from the animal's back when in full gallop, and other feats.† (source)
- Entertaining as this all was, I could see Mutt becoming rather restive.† (source)
- He took the restive Donas's bridle and turned him downhill.† (source)
- In other words, he enjoyed the cosseting for approximately twenty-four hours and then became in turn restive, restless, testy, irritable, cranky, fractious, and extremely bad tempered.† (source)
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for lo, tyrants tremble, crowns grow dim,
The earth, restive, confronts a new era, perhaps a general divine war,
No one knows what will happen next, such portents fill the days and nights;
Years prophetical!† (source)
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The scene and all its belongings, how they seize and affect me,
The sad sharp-chinn'd old man with worn clothes and broad
shoulder-band of leather,
Myself effusing and fluid, a phantom curiously floating, now here
absorb'd and arrested,
The group, (an unminded point set in a vast surrounding,)
The attentive, quiet children, the loud, proud, restive base of the streets,
The low hoarse purr of the whirling stone, the light-press'd blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.† (source)
- Yet I am of opinion, this defect arises chiefly from a perverse, restive disposition; for they are cunning, malicious, treacherous, and revengeful.† (source)
- "In truth," replied he on the mare, "I would not pass you so hastily but for fear that horse might turn restive in the company of my mare."† (source)
- One of the members for the affirmative offered several arguments of great strength and weight, alleging, "that as the Yahoos were the most filthy, noisome, and deformed animals which nature ever produced, so they were the most restive and indocible, mischievous and malicious; they would privately suck the teats of the Houyhnhnms' cows, kill and devour their cats, trample down their oats and grass, if they were not continually watched, and commit a thousand other extravagancies."† (source)
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