: 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
With law enforcement on their tail, Thelma and Louise contend with fascinating characters (including a thoroughly rakish drifter played by Brad Pitt), misogynistic biases, and their own impending fates.
—
Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 7 July 2025
Chicago detectives soon zeroed in on Bennie Bedwell, an out-of-state drifter who was spotted with the girls by witnesses, according to local WGN.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
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
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.
Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 7 July 2025
Chicago detectives soon zeroed in on Bennie Bedwell, an out-of-state drifter who was spotted with the girls by witnesses, according to local WGN.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for drifter
Cite this Entry
“Drifter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drifter. Accessed 1 Aug. 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