: 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 the short story, a drifter impersonates a missing girl to rob the girl’s family — only to realize she’s made a terrible mistake.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025
Millie Bobby Brown will star as an orphaned teenager searching for her brother across a post-apocalyptic American West, joined by a loveable robot and a drifter (Chris Pratt).
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Dickinson, Babygirl actor and a relative newcomer to A-list stardom, will debut his feature film Urchin, about a drifter (Frank Dillane) on the streets of London.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Based on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novel series, the show stars Ritchson as the infamous ex-military police officer and drifter who uses his combat skills (and intimidating stature) to take down dangerous criminals.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 27 Mar. 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.
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025
Millie Bobby Brown will star as an orphaned teenager searching for her brother across a post-apocalyptic American West, joined by a loveable robot and a drifter (Chris Pratt).
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Dickinson, Babygirl actor and a relative newcomer to A-list stardom, will debut his feature film Urchin, about a drifter (Frank Dillane) on the streets of London.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Based on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novel series, the show stars Ritchson as the infamous ex-military police officer and drifter who uses his combat skills (and intimidating stature) to take down dangerous criminals.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 27 Mar. 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 30 Apr. 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