driving
adjective
driv·ing ˈdrī-viŋ 
1
a
: communicating force
a driving wheel
b
: exerting pressure
a driving influence
2
a
: having great force
a driving rain
a driving beat
b
: acting with vigor : energetic
a hard-driving worker
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web This non-driving person is entirely befuddled by such matters. 
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 June 2022 Other roads, however, like many of the passes in southern Colorado, require significantly more driving experience. Outside Online, 15 June 2020 Free-flowing, individual globs of cheese should be easy enough to grab with your non-driving hand on the way home, not clumped together like Mount Curd. Daniel Higgins, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2022 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 See More
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 June 2022 Other roads, however, like many of the passes in southern Colorado, require significantly more driving experience. Outside Online, 15 June 2020 Free-flowing, individual globs of cheese should be easy enough to grab with your non-driving hand on the way home, not clumped together like Mount Curd. Daniel Higgins, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2022 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 After Brown missed his own driving layup attempt with just over 6 seconds left, Middleton got the rebound. Steve Megargee, ajc, 11 June 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Phrases Containing driving
driving 1 of 2
adjective
as in hustling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- hustling
- dynamic
- determined
- motivated
- diligent
- hungry
- enterprising
- spirited
- venturesome
- industrious
- lively
- animated
- venturous
- competing
- impassioned
- gung ho
- pushing
- eager
- competitive
- energetic
- aggressive
- raring
- avid
- assertive
- vigorous
- rival
- pushy
- opportunistic
- ardent
- high-flying
- aspiring
- keen
- pretentious
- ambitious
- overambitious
- hard-driving
- rivalrous
- self-assertive
- go-getting
- self-seeking
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- indifferent
- disinterested
- uninterested
- casual
- lackadaisical
- apathetic
- easygoing
- sluggish
- lethargic
- unexcited
- lazy
- shiftless
- unenthusiastic
- uneager
- listless
- lukewarm
- tepid
- lazyish
- halfhearted
- spiritless
- unaggressive
- unassertive
- unambitious
- ambitionless
driving
2 of 2verb
1
as in running
to urge, push, or force onward cowboys drove the herd of cattle from San Antonio to San Francisco Synonyms & Similar Words
- running
- punching
- shepherding
- herding
- whipping
- pressing
- spurring
- wrangling
- prodding
- hounding
- exhorting
- flogging
- prompting
- egging
- goading
- pricking
- scourging
2
as in riding
to travel by a motorized vehicle I'm going to drive across the country—want to come? Synonyms & Similar Words
- riding
- motoring
- racing
- automobiling
- tooling
- rolling
- taxiing
- chauffeuring
- joyriding
- dragging
- wheeling
- hacking
3
as in pushing
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one drove the plunger into the opening Synonyms & Similar Words
- pushing
- shoving
- thrusting
- propelling
- moving
- jamming
- squeezing
- forcing
- pressuring
- compressing
- impelling
- ramming
- squashing
- bulldozing
- depressing
- compelling
- muscling
- bearing (down)
- weighing (upon)
- leaning (on or against)
4
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure the corrupt governor was driven out of office Synonyms & Similar Words
- forcing
- coercing
- compelling
- obliging
- pressuring
- obligating
- constraining
- making
- pressing
- dragooning
- impressing
- muscling
- sandbagging
- blackmailing
- blackjacking
- impelling
- intimidating
- dragging
- bullying
- threatening
- bulldozing
- terrorizing
- browbeating
- cowing
- badgering
- harassing
- hectoring
- shaming
- twisting one's arm
- menacing
- hounding
- high-pressuring
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- letting
- permitting
- allowing
- moving
- arguing
- inducing
- talking (into)
- satisfying
- winning (over)
- prevailing (on or upon)
- convincing
- persuading
5
as in activating
to cause to function machinery driven by waterpower Synonyms & Similar Words
- activating
- triggering
- sparking
- moving
- powering
- fueling
- generating
- running
- starting
- pushing
- charging
- fuelling
- igniting
- actuating
- firing
- provoking
- setting off
- touching off
- electrifying
- switching
- turning on
- launching
- accelerating
- tripping
- energizing
- stimulating
- discharging
- recharging
- cranking (up)
- releasing
- turning over
- inciting
- kicking over
- instigating
- exciting
- reactivating
- arousing
- quickening
- catalyzing
- jump-starting
- kick-starting
- vitalizing
- stirring up
- stepping up
- speeding (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- cutting
- killing
- stopping
- checking
- braking
- stalling
- sticking
- jamming
- turning off
- deactivating
- arresting
- halting
- decelerating
- slowing
- shutting off
- suppressing
- stunting
- cutting out
- repressing
- cutting off
- drawing up
6
as in moving
to set or keep in motion this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft Synonyms & Similar Words
- moving
- activating
- propelling
- working
- actuating
- stimulating
- impelling
- triggering
- raising
- motivating
- provoking
- tripping
- inciting
- fomenting
- fermenting
- abetting
- instigating
- setting off
- galvanizing
- rousing
- inflaming
- exciting
- arousing
- inspiring
- enflaming
- whipping (up)
- stirring (up)
- firing (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- controlling
- checking
- regulating
- restraining
- curbing
- inhibiting
- containing
- constraining
- bridling
- reining (in)
7
as in speeding
to proceed or move quickly the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop Synonyms & Similar Words
- speeding
- traveling
- racing
- flying
- rushing
- travelling
- hurrying
- trotting
- chasing
- running
- zipping
- jumping
- scurrying
- scooting
- buzzing
- blowing
- blasting
- darting
- stepping
- zooming
- shooting
- motoring
- ramming
- dashing
- bowling
- jogging
- tearing
- ripping
- hustling
- scuttling
- careening
- whirling
- bolting
- barreling
- careering
- haring
- blazing
- rocketing
- humping
- hurling
- hurtling
- bundling
- bustling
- whisking
- breezing
- hastening
- galloping
- coursing
- jetting
- belting
- nipping
- hying
- rustling
- highballing
- pelting
- bombing
- barrelling
- beating it
- accelerating
- cannonballing
- flitting
- hieing
- sprinting
- making tracks
- getting a move on
- whizzing
- shaking a leg
- scampering
- scudding
- overtaking
- streaking
- scuffling
- stepping on it
- cracking (on)
- stampeding
- beetling
- hotfooting (it)
- outrunning
- quickening
- outpacing
- stepping out
- outstripping
- catching up
- beelining
- arrowing
- fast-forwarding
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- creeping
- crawling
- dragging
- poking
- lingering
- lagging
- strolling
- poking
- hanging (around or out)
- dawdling
- loitering
- shuffling
- sauntering
- ambling
- plodding
- lumbering
- decelerating
- dallying
- tarrying
- dillydallying
- slowing (down or up)