drift

1 of 2

noun

ˈdrift

plural drifts

: the act of driving something along

: the flow or the velocity of the current of a river or ocean stream

: something driven, propelled, or urged along or drawn together in a clump by or as if by a natural agency: such as

: wind-driven snow, rain, cloud, dust, or smoke usually at or near the ground surface

b(1)

: a mass of matter (such as sand) deposited together by or as if by wind or water

(2)

: a helter-skelter accumulation

: drove, flock

: something (such as driftwood) washed ashore

: rock debris deposited by natural agents

specifically : a deposit of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders transported by a glacier or by running water from a glacier

: a general underlying design or tendency

perceiving the drift of the government's policies

: the underlying meaning, import, or purport of what is spoken or written

the drift of a conversation

: something (such as a tool) driven down upon or forced into a body

: the motion or action of drifting especially spatially and usually under external influence: such as

: the lateral motion of an aircraft due to air currents

: an easy moderate more or less steady flow or sweep along a spatial course

: a gradual shift in attitude, opinion, or position

: an aimless course

especially : a forgoing of any attempt at direction or control

: a deviation from a true reproduction, representation, or reading

especially : a gradual change in the zero reading of an instrument or in any quantitative characteristic that is supposed to remain constant

: a deliberate, controlled skid by a vehicle turning through a corner at high speed : an instance of automotive drifting

Backing off the throttle on corner entries induces a soupçon of oversteer, just enough to allow a little sliding at the apex in an easily controlled four-wheel drift, that most delightful of sports-car experiences—when it doesn't hurl one off a cliff.

Tony Swan

called also powerslide

: a nearly horizontal mine passageway driven on or parallel to the course of a vein or rock stratum

: a small crosscut in a mine connecting two larger tunnels

: an assumed trend toward a general change in the structure of a language over a period of time

: genetic drift

: a grouping of similar flowers planted in an elongated mass

drifty

ˈdrif-tē

adjective

drift

2 of 2

verb

drifted; drifting; drifts

intransitive verb

: to become driven or carried along (as by a current of water, wind, or air)

a balloon drifting in the wind

: to move or float smoothly and effortlessly

: to move along a line of least resistance

: to move in a random or casual way

: to become carried along subject to no guidance or control

the talk drifted from topic to topic

: to accumulate in a mass or become piled up in heaps by wind or water

drifting snow

: to become covered with a drift

: to vary or deviate from a set course or adjustment

transitive verb

: to cause to be driven in a current

Western US : to drive (livestock) slowly especially to allow grazing

: to pile in heaps

: to cover with drifts

driftingly

ˈdrif-tiŋ-lē How to pronounce drift (audio)

adverb

Example Sentences

Noun the slow drift of the clouds As she got older, you could observe a drift in her writing towards more serious subjects. the government's drift towards a centralization of power Verb The boat slowly drifted out to sea. The clouds drifted across the sky. The snow drifted against the side of the house. Drifting snow covered most of the car. The party guests drifted from room to room, eating and mingling. Her eyes drifted across the crowd. The conversation drifted from topic to topic. My thoughts drifted back to the time when we first met. After he left the army he just drifted for a few years. She drifted from job to job. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The car got onto US 422 westbound, at which point the officer saw the car drift between lanes.

cleveland, 12 July 2022 One of the common challenges across NATO is the political drift from its core values, Lute said.

Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 1 July 2022 But the drift away from target men may have its roots, too, in the race to industrialize talent production over much the same time period.

New York Times, 17 June 2022 Let the club-face drift half an inch from perfect, and your ball may be in the woods.

Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 15 June 2022 Travis Pastrana, who has taken over the helm of the Gymkhana YouTube series from Ken Block, has shown off his latest drift car, a 1983 Subaru GL wagon.

Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 20 Jan. 2022 Professional drivers drove the drift car and GT car and the participants were passengers.

Chris Perkins, sun-sentinel.com, 11 Sep. 2021 For adults who want the thrill of a race car that's capable of handing slides around bends, this drift car from Redcat Racing is an excellent choice.

Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 4 Aug. 2022 From there, friends, family, and authorities began piecing together the fragments of Little’s legacy and how, exactly, the freewheeling musician’s bones ended up abandoned under a drift of snow.

Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2022

Verb

It also gets released as these aerosolized particles, which just drift on the wind or land in the water.

Maggie Chen, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2022 Russian hacking tools hijacked the drones of Ukrainian operators, who saw their aircraft drift away helplessly behind enemy lines.

John Hudson, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2022 While smoke appears mostly confined to the Oak Fire site, a smoky haze will drift northward into Northern California and Oregon over the next couple of days, Smerbeck said.

Ashley R. Williams, USA TODAY, 26 July 2022 Some will continue to squeeze out antibodies for the long term, while others drift about in quietude, ready to resume their defensive duties when they’re called upon again.

Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2021 Growth in the number of jobs advertised on platforms such as Indeed.com and LinkedIn is starting to drift down.

Kathryn Dill And Jemal R. Brinson, WSJ, 12 July 2022 In the water was a rod poking out of the surface, so that the ants would attach to it and their raft wouldn’t drift to the walls.

Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 June 2021 The 18-year-old helped his family tie down things in the yard in hopes that their belongings would not drift away.

Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 14 May 2021 Scientists have long thought that the seaweed’s spermatia simply drift wherever the current takes them, with only a slim chance of landing on a female seaweed’s reproductive organ.

Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 28 July 2022 See More

Kids Definition

drift 1 of 2

noun

ˈdrift

: the slow movement of something carried by wind or water

: a pile of something that has been blown by the wind

a drift of snow

: a course something appears to be taking

the drift of the conversation

: the meaning of something said or implied

I don't get your drift.

drift

2 of 2

verb

drifted; drifting

: to move slowly on wind or water

: to be piled up by wind or water

drifting sand

: to move along or change without effort or purpose

She drifts from job to job.

He drifted in and out of sleep.

drift 1 of 2

verb

as in to flow

to move or proceed smoothly and readily casual conversation drifting from one topic to another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

flow
slip
sail
sweep
glide
slide
cruise
brush
stream
roll
coast
speed
breeze
race
fly
rush
bowl
skim
whisk

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

struggle
flounder
stumble
limp
shuffle
trudge
plod
lumber
stomp
stamp
tramp
labor
toil
stump
shamble

as in to hover

to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air the boat drifted along on the current

Synonyms & Similar Words

hover
float
sail
swim
glide
waft
ride
bob
hang
poise
suspend
buoy
dangle
raft
balloon

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

settle
sink
dive
plunge
dip
lunge
immerse
submerge
submerse

as in to wander

to move about from place to place aimlessly spent several years drifting from town to town, picking up odd jobs whenever he needed cash

Synonyms & Similar Words

wander
roam
float
stroll
cruise
meander
range
rove
ramble
traipse
maunder
saunter
bat
mooch
galavant
amble
gallivant
kick around
knock (about)
dawdle
stray
straggle
vagabond
gypsy
gad (about)
mope
hobo
tramp
mill (about or around)

drift

2 of 2

noun

as in mound

a pile or ridge of granular matter (as sand or snow) deep drifts of snow blocked our driveway

Synonyms & Similar Words

mound
bank
mountain
stack
tuft
bar
snowdrift
embankment
heap
snowbank
mass
hill
sandbar

as in tide

a prevailing or general movement or inclination the steady drift of the population away from large cities

Synonyms & Similar Words

tide
tendency
direction
trend
shift
wind
run
current
leaning
turn
swing
curve
propensity
habit
tenor
upside
way
custom
downside
undertow
turnabout
countercurrent
undercurrent
countertrend

as in sense

the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action you should expect a visit from the stork, if you get my drift

Synonyms & Similar Words

sense
meaning
content
significance
import
intention
intent
definition
message
theme
implication
connotation
nature
cue
stuff
acceptance
hint
indication
inkling
suggestion
denotation
soul
topic
signification
essence
subject
purport
clue
tenor
quick
point
spirit
burden
bottom
motive
heart
matter
question
marrow
motif
nucleus
intimation
gist
core
kernel
acceptation
nub
crux
essentiality
pith

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of drift are current, tendency, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

the drift of the population away from large cities

got the drift of her argument

The words current and drift can be used in similar contexts, but current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

The words tendency and drift are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

Although the words tenor and drift have much in common, tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

The synonyms trend and drift are sometimes interchangeable, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

单词	drift
释义	drift 1 of 2 noun ˈdrift plural drifts 1 a : the act of driving something along b : the flow or the velocity of the current of a river or ocean stream 2 : something driven, propelled, or urged along or drawn together in a clump by or as if by a natural agency: such as a : wind-driven snow, rain, cloud, dust, or smoke usually at or near the ground surface b(1) : a mass of matter (such as sand) deposited together by or as if by wind or water (2) : a helter-skelter accumulation c : drove, flock d : something (such as driftwood) washed ashore e : rock debris deposited by natural agents specifically : a deposit of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders transported by a glacier or by running water from a glacier 3 a : a general underlying design or tendency perceiving the drift of the government's policies b : the underlying meaning, import, or purport of what is spoken or written the drift of a conversation 4 : something (such as a tool) driven down upon or forced into a body 5 : the motion or action of drifting especially spatially and usually under external influence: such as a : the lateral motion of an aircraft due to air currents b : an easy moderate more or less steady flow or sweep along a spatial course c : a gradual shift in attitude, opinion, or position d : an aimless course especially : a forgoing of any attempt at direction or control e : a deviation from a true reproduction, representation, or reading especially : a gradual change in the zero reading of an instrument or in any quantitative characteristic that is supposed to remain constant f : a deliberate, controlled skid by a vehicle turning through a corner at high speed : an instance of automotive drifting Backing off the throttle on corner entries induces a soupçon of oversteer, just enough to allow a little sliding at the apex in an easily controlled four-wheel drift, that most delightful of sports-car experiences—when it doesn't hurl one off a cliff. Tony Swan called also powerslide 6 a : a nearly horizontal mine passageway driven on or parallel to the course of a vein or rock stratum b : a small crosscut in a mine connecting two larger tunnels 7 a : an assumed trend toward a general change in the structure of a language over a period of time b : genetic drift 8 : a grouping of similar flowers planted in an elongated mass drifty ˈdrif-tē adjective drift 2 of 2 verb drifted; drifting; drifts intransitive verb 1 a : to become driven or carried along (as by a current of water, wind, or air) a balloon drifting in the wind b : to move or float smoothly and effortlessly 2 a : to move along a line of least resistance b : to move in a random or casual way c : to become carried along subject to no guidance or control the talk drifted from topic to topic 3 a : to accumulate in a mass or become piled up in heaps by wind or water drifting snow b : to become covered with a drift 4 : to vary or deviate from a set course or adjustment transitive verb 1 a : to cause to be driven in a current b Western US : to drive (livestock) slowly especially to allow grazing 2 a : to pile in heaps b : to cover with drifts driftingly ˈdrif-tiŋ-lē adverb Synonyms Noun bank bar mound Verb bowl breeze brush coast cruise flow glide roll sail skim slide slip stream sweep whisk See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun the slow drift of the clouds As she got older, you could observe a drift in her writing towards more serious subjects. the government's drift towards a centralization of power Verb The boat slowly drifted out to sea. The clouds drifted across the sky. The snow drifted against the side of the house. Drifting snow covered most of the car. The party guests drifted from room to room, eating and mingling. Her eyes drifted across the crowd. The conversation drifted from topic to topic. My thoughts drifted back to the time when we first met. After he left the army he just drifted for a few years. She drifted from job to job. See More Recent Examples on the Web Noun The car got onto US 422 westbound, at which point the officer saw the car drift between lanes. cleveland, 12 July 2022 One of the common challenges across NATO is the political drift from its core values, Lute said. Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 1 July 2022 But the drift away from target men may have its roots, too, in the race to industrialize talent production over much the same time period. New York Times, 17 June 2022 Let the club-face drift half an inch from perfect, and your ball may be in the woods. Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 15 June 2022 Travis Pastrana, who has taken over the helm of the Gymkhana YouTube series from Ken Block, has shown off his latest drift car, a 1983 Subaru GL wagon. Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 20 Jan. 2022 Professional drivers drove the drift car and GT car and the participants were passengers. Chris Perkins, sun-sentinel.com, 11 Sep. 2021 For adults who want the thrill of a race car that's capable of handing slides around bends, this drift car from Redcat Racing is an excellent choice. Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 4 Aug. 2022 From there, friends, family, and authorities began piecing together the fragments of Little’s legacy and how, exactly, the freewheeling musician’s bones ended up abandoned under a drift of snow. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2022 Verb It also gets released as these aerosolized particles, which just drift on the wind or land in the water. Maggie Chen, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2022 Russian hacking tools hijacked the drones of Ukrainian operators, who saw their aircraft drift away helplessly behind enemy lines. John Hudson, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2022 While smoke appears mostly confined to the Oak Fire site, a smoky haze will drift northward into Northern California and Oregon over the next couple of days, Smerbeck said. Ashley R. Williams, USA TODAY, 26 July 2022 Some will continue to squeeze out antibodies for the long term, while others drift about in quietude, ready to resume their defensive duties when they’re called upon again. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2021 Growth in the number of jobs advertised on platforms such as Indeed.com and LinkedIn is starting to drift down. Kathryn Dill And Jemal R. Brinson, WSJ, 12 July 2022 In the water was a rod poking out of the surface, so that the ants would attach to it and their raft wouldn’t drift to the walls. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 June 2021 The 18-year-old helped his family tie down things in the yard in hopes that their belongings would not drift away. Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 14 May 2021 Scientists have long thought that the seaweed’s spermatia simply drift wherever the current takes them, with only a slim chance of landing on a female seaweed’s reproductive organ. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 28 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Noun Middle English; akin to Old English drīfan to drive — more at drive First Known Use Noun 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb circa 1600, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3a Phrases Containing drift catch one's drift continental drift drift off drift fence catch someone's drift get someone's drift genetic drift population drift drift net catch one's drift continental drift drift off drift fence catch someone's drift get someone's drift genetic drift population drift drift net See More Kids Definition drift 1 of 2 noun ˈdrift 1 : the slow movement of something carried by wind or water 2 : a pile of something that has been blown by the wind a drift of snow 3 : a course something appears to be taking the drift of the conversation 4 : the meaning of something said or implied I don't get your drift. drift 2 of 2 verb drifted; drifting 1 : to move slowly on wind or water 2 : to be piled up by wind or water drifting sand 3 : to move along or change without effort or purpose She drifts from job to job. He drifted in and out of sleep. Medical Definition drift noun ˈdrift 1 : movement of a tooth in the dental arch 2 : genetic drift drift 1 of 2 verb 1 as in to flow to move or proceed smoothly and readily casual conversation drifting from one topic to another Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance flow slip sail sweep glide slide cruise brush stream roll coast speed breeze race fly rush bowl skim whisk Antonyms & Near Antonyms struggle flounder stumble limp shuffle trudge plod lumber stomp stamp tramp labor toil stump shamble See More 2 as in to hover to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air the boat drifted along on the current Synonyms & Similar Words hover float sail swim glide waft ride bob hang poise suspend buoy dangle raft balloon Antonyms & Near Antonyms settle sink dive plunge dip lunge immerse submerge submerse See More 3 as in to wander to move about from place to place aimlessly spent several years drifting from town to town, picking up odd jobs whenever he needed cash Synonyms & Similar Words wander roam float stroll cruise meander range rove ramble traipse maunder saunter bat mooch galavant amble gallivant kick around knock (about) dawdle stray straggle vagabond gypsy gad (about) mope hobo tramp mill (about or around) drift 2 of 2 noun 1 as in mound a pile or ridge of granular matter (as sand or snow) deep drifts of snow blocked our driveway Synonyms & Similar Words mound bank mountain stack tuft bar snowdrift embankment heap snowbank mass hill sandbar 2 as in tide a prevailing or general movement or inclination the steady drift of the population away from large cities Synonyms & Similar Words tide tendency direction trend shift wind run current leaning turn swing curve propensity habit tenor upside way custom downside undertow turnabout countercurrent undercurrent countertrend 3 as in sense the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action you should expect a visit from the stork, if you get my drift Synonyms & Similar Words sense meaning content significance import intention intent definition message theme implication connotation nature cue stuff acceptance hint indication inkling suggestion denotation soul topic signification essence subject purport clue tenor quick point spirit burden bottom motive heart matter question marrow motif nucleus intimation gist core kernel acceptation nub crux essentiality pith Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of drift are current, tendency, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse. the drift of the population away from large cities got the drift of her argument The words current and drift can be used in similar contexts, but current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course. an encounter that changed the current of my life The words tendency and drift are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force. a general tendency toward inflation Although the words tenor and drift have much in common, tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course. the tenor of the times The synonyms trend and drift are sometimes interchangeable, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course. the long-term trend of the stock market is upward
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drift

noun

verb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing drift

Kids Definition

noun

verb

Medical Definition

noun

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser