drive
verb /draɪv/
/draɪv/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they drive | /draɪv/ /draɪv/ |
| he / she / it drives | /draɪvz/ /draɪvz/ |
| past simple drove | /drəʊv/ /drəʊv/ |
| past participle driven | /ˈdrɪvn/ /ˈdrɪvn/ |
| -ing form driving | /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/ /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to operate a vehicle so that it goes in a particular direction
- Can you drive?
- Don't drive so fast!
- I drove to work this morning.
- Shall we drive (= go there by car) or go by train?
- drive something to drive a car/vehicle/truck/bus
- He drives a taxi (= that is his job).
Collocations DrivingDrivingHaving a car- have/own/(British English) run a car
- ride a motorcycle/motorbike
- drive/prefer/use an automatic/a manual/(North American English, informal) a stick shift
- have/get your car serviced/fixed/repaired
- buy/sell a used car/(especially British English) a second-hand car
- take/pass/fail a (British English) driving test/(both North American English) driver’s test/road test
- get/obtain/have/lose/carry a/your (British English) driving licence/(North American English) driver’s license
- put on/fasten/(North American English) buckle/wear/undo your seat belt/safety belt
- put/turn/leave the key in the ignition
- start the car/engine
- (British English) change/(North American English) shift/put something into gear
- press/put your foot on the brake pedal/clutch/accelerator
- release the clutch/(especially British English) the handbrake/(both North American English) the emergency brake/the parking brake
- drive/park/reverse the car
- (British English) indicate left/right
- (especially North American English) signal that you are turning left/right
- take/miss (British English) the turning/(especially North American English) the turn
- apply/hit/slam on the brake(s)
- beep/honk/(especially British English) toot/(British English) sound your horn
- a car skids/crashes (into something)/collides (with something)
- swerve to avoid an oncoming car/a pedestrian
- crash/lose control of the car
- have/be in/be killed in/survive a car crash/a car accident/(North American English) a car wreck/a hit-and-run
- be run over/knocked down by a car/bus/truck
- dent/hit (British English) the bonnet/(North American English) the hood
- break/crack/shatter (British English) the windscreen/(North American English) the windshield
- blow/(especially British English) burst/puncture (British English) a tyre/(North American English) a tire
- get/have (British English) a flat tyre/a flat tire/a puncture
- inflate/change/fit/replace/check a tyre/tire
- be caught in/get stuck in/sit in a traffic jam
- cause congestion/tailbacks/traffic jams/gridlock
- experience/face lengthy delays
- beat/avoid the traffic/the rush hour
- break/observe/(North American English) drive the speed limit
- be caught on (British English) a speed camera
- stop somebody for/pull somebody over for/(British English, informal) be done for speeding
- (both informal) run/(British English) jump a red light/the lights
- be arrested for/charged with (British English) drink-driving/(both US English) driving under the influence (DUI)/driving while intoxicated (DWI)
- be banned/(British English) disqualified from driving
Extra ExamplesTopics Transport by car or lorrya1- He was arrested for driving recklessly.
- She drove quickly back to the office.
- We drove from Quebec to Ottawa.
- We must have driven over 600 kilometres today.
- Driving lessons can be expensive.
- We drove the rest of the way in silence.
- Have you ever driven a racing car?
- I learned to drive when I was 25.
- They run a driving school in Birmingham.
- Be sure not to drink and drive (= drive when you have drunk alcohol).
- a ban on texting and driving
- to drive home/north
- to drive safely
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- fast
- quickly
- slowly
- …
- down
- from
- to
- …
- drink and drive
- [transitive] to take somebody somewhere in a car, taxi, etc.
- drive somebody + adv./prep. Could you drive me home?
- My mother drove us to the airport.
- They were driven to an unknown place in the hills.
- drive somebody I don't want to take the bus. Will you drive me?
Synonyms taketakeTopics Transport by car or lorrya2- lead
- escort
- drive
- show
- walk
- guide
- usher
- direct
- take to go with somebody from one place to another, for example in order to show them something or to show them the way to a place:
- It’s too far to walk—I’ll take you by car.
- lead to go with or go in front of somebody in order to show them the way or to make them go in the right direction:
- Firefighters led the survivors to safety.
- escort to go with somebody in order to protect or guard them or to show them the way:
- The president arrived, escorted by twelve bodyguards.
- drive to take somebody somewhere in a car, taxi, etc:
- My mother drove us to the airport.
- show to take somebody to a particular place, in the right direction, or along the correct route:
- The attendant showed us to our seats.
- walk to go somewhere with somebody on foot, especially in order to make sure that they get there safely; to take an animal, especially a dog, for a walk or make an animal walk somewhere:
- He always walked her home.
- Have you walked the dog yet today?
- guide to show somebody the way to a place, often by going with them; to show somebody a place that you know well:
- She guided us through the busy streets.
- We were guided around the museums.
- usher (rather formal) to politely take or show somebody where they should go, especially within a building:
- She ushered her guests to their seats.
- direct (rather formal) to tell or show somebody how to get somewhere or where to go:
- A young woman directed them to the station.
- to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide/usher/direct somebody to/out of/into something
- to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide somebody around/round
- to take/lead/escort/drive/walk somebody home
- to take/lead/escort/guide somebody to safety
- to lead/show the way
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. (of a vehicle) to travel under the control of a driver
- A stream of black cars drove by.
- A car drove up to us and a man got out.
- [transitive] drive something to own or use a particular type of vehicle
- What car do you drive?
- You need a special licence to drive a heavy goods vehicle.
- [transitive] to make somebody very angry, crazy, etc. or to make them do something extreme
- drive somebody + adj. to drive somebody crazy/mad/nuts/insane
- drive somebody to do something Hunger drove her to steal.
- drive somebody to something Those kids are driving me to despair.
Extra Examples- The website was extremely slow, driving many users to distraction.
- The situation has become so desperate that many are driven to suicide.
- The destruction of the rainforest may drive certain species to extinction.
- [transitive] to force somebody to act in a particular way
- drive somebody + adv./prep. The urge to survive drove them on.
- drive yourself + adv./prep. You're driving yourself too hard.
- be driven by something He was driven by the desire to understand how things work.
- The work is driven by the need for information sharing.
- [transitive] drive something to provide the power that makes a machine work; to operate a device
- a steam-driven locomotive
- The interface can be used to drive a printer.
- [transitive] drive somebody/something + adv./prep. to force somebody/something to move in a particular direction
- to drive sheep into a field
- The enemy was driven back.
- [transitive] drive something to influence something or cause it to make progress
- This is the main factor driving investment in the area.
- A key factor driving growth was the launch of convenient products.
- The dairy products market will also be driven by consumer demand.
- [transitive] drive something + adv./prep. to force something to go in a particular direction or into a particular position by pushing it, hitting it, etc.
- to drive a nail into a piece of wood
Extra Examples- He took a wooden peg and drove it into the ground.
- The knife had been driven through his heart.
- [transitive] drive something + adv./prep. to make an opening in or through something by using force
- They drove a tunnel through the solid rock.
- [transitive, intransitive] drive (something) (+ adv./prep.) to hit a ball with force, sending it forward
- to drive the ball into the rough (= in golf)
- [transitive] drive something (+ adv./prep.) to carry something along
- Huge waves drove the yacht onto the rocks.
- [intransitive] (+ adv./prep.) to fall or move rapidly and with great force
- The waves drove against the shore.
vehicle
make somebody do something
machine
make somebody/something move
cause something to make progress
hit/push
make a hole
in sport
wind/water
Word OriginOld English drīfan ‘urge (a person or animal) to go forward’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch drijven and German treiben.
Idioms
as clean, pure, etc. as the driven snow
- extremely clean, pure, etc.
drive a coach and horses through something
- to cause something to fail, for example a plan
drive/strike a hard bargain
- to argue in an aggressive way and force somebody to agree on the best possible price or arrangementTopics Discussion and agreementc2
drive something home (to somebody)
- to make somebody understand or accept something by saying it often, loudly, angrily, etc.
- You will really need to drive your point home.
drive somebody to 'drink
- to make somebody so worried, annoyed or upset that they lose control of their behaviour, especially by drinking too much alcohol
- The stress drove her to drink and put a strain on her marriage.
- (humorous) Dragging kids through airports is enough to drive you to drink.
drive a wedge between A and B
- to make two people start disliking each other
- I don't want to drive a wedge between the two of you.
- This was just one of the issues that drove a wedge between them.
run/drive/work yourself into the ground
- to work so hard that you become extremely tired
what somebody is driving at
- (informal) the thing somebody is trying to say
- I wish I knew what they were driving at.
