: one that drifts
especially
: one that travels or moves about aimlessly
Examples of drifter in a Sentence
He was a drifter who hitchhiked from state to state.
the drifter just packed up and moved on to the next dead-end job
Recent Examples on the Web
In fact, one of her biggest food joys in TGM is to eat as a solo drifter.
—
Klara Feenstra
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
The title is a reference to Samuel Beckett’s classic play about a pair of drifters stuck waiting for a visitor who never shows, while his blend of fact and fiction takes a page from Gonzo classics like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
She is guided on her way by Boyce (Dave Bautista), a drifter who is one of few able to navigate the Lost Lands.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Charades Why Buyers Care: Dickinson shows a different side of himself, making his feature directorial debut with this story of a drifter trying to reintegrate into society.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drifter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Klara Feenstra
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
The title is a reference to Samuel Beckett’s classic play about a pair of drifters stuck waiting for a visitor who never shows, while his blend of fact and fiction takes a page from Gonzo classics like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
She is guided on her way by Boyce (Dave Bautista), a drifter who is one of few able to navigate the Lost Lands.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Charades Why Buyers Care: Dickinson shows a different side of himself, making his feature directorial debut with this story of a drifter trying to reintegrate into society.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drifter
Cite this Entry
“Drifter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drifter. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drifter
noun
drift·er
ˈdrif-tər 
: one that drifts
especially
: a person who travels about without purpose
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share