different between restive vs tremulous

English

Etymology

Modification of earlier restiff, from Middle English restyf, from Old French restif, from rester (“stay, remain”), from Latin rest?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???st?v/
• Hyphenation: res?tive

Adjective

restive (comparative more restive, superlative most restive)

1. Impatient under delay, duress, or control.
   • 1914, Bram Stoker, "Dracula's Guest" in Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories:

     The horses were now more restive than ever, and Johann was trying to hold them in.
2. Resistant to control; stubborn.
3. Refusing to move, especially in a forward direction.

Synonyms

• (impatient under duress): anxious, champing at the bit, fidgety, restless, uneasy
• (resistant of control): disobedient, rebellious, recalcitrant, refractory, uncooperative, unruly
• (refusing to move): balky

Derived terms

• restively
• restiveness

Translations

Anagrams

• Ivester, Servite, Sievert, sievert, tervies, veriest

English

Etymology

From Latin tremulus, from trem? (“I shake”). Cognate to Ancient Greek ????? (trém?).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t??mjul?s/

Adjective

tremulous (comparative more tremulous, superlative most tremulous)

1. Trembling, quivering, or shaking.
2. Timid, hesitant; lacking confidence.
   • 2009 Oct. 7, Christopher Kimball, "Opinion: Gourmet to All That," New York Times (retrieved 18 Aug 2012):

     This, hard on the heels of the death of Julia Child in 2004, makes one tremulous about the future.

Synonyms

• (trembling, quivering, or shaking): quaking, shaking, trembling, tremulant
• (timid, hesitant, or unconfident): timid, wavering

Related terms

• tremble
• tremor

Translations