restive

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 28, 2025 is "restive", an adjective that describes a person or group feeling impatience or uneasiness, or someone who is stubbornly resistant to control. The word can be used in sentences such as "The audience grew increasingly restive as the speaker droned on and on" or "The school's focus on artistic expression helps restive youths stay engaged in their learning." The word "restive" originated from the Anglo-French verb "rester", meaning "to stop, resist, or remain". Initially, it meant "stubbornly resisting control or guidance" and was primarily applied to animals, but over time it gained additional meanings such as "inflexible", "sluggish", and "persistent". In the 19th century, the word took on the meaning "marked by impatience or uneasiness". Although some usage guides still recommend against using "restive" in this modern sense, it has been employed by skilled writers for over a century and a half. The original "balky" sense of "restive" still exists, but it is overshadowed by the more recent "fidgety or impatient" meaning. The word "restive" can be used to describe people who are impatient or uneasy, as seen in the example sentence from Adebayo Lamikanra's article in The Nation. The word's meaning has evolved over time, and its usage has been debated among language enthusiasts. Despite this, "restive" remains a useful word to describe people or situations characterized by impatience or uneasiness.