\ ˈdrīv
\
\
drove\
ˈdrōv
\; driven\
ˈdri-vən
\; driving\
ˈdrī-viŋ
\
\; driven\
ˈdri-vən
\; driving\
ˈdrī-viŋ
\
Definition of drive
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to frighten or prod (game, cattle, etc.) into moving in a desired direction
drive cattle across the prairie
b
hunting
: to go through (an area) driving game animals
drive the other side of the mountain
2
: to carry on or through energetically
drives a hard bargain
3a
: to impart a forward motion to by physical force
Waves drove the boat ashore. drive the nail into the beam
b
: to repulse, remove, or cause to go by force, authority, or influence
drive the enemy back
c
: to set or keep in motion or operation
drive machinery by electricity
d
basketball
: to move quickly and forcefully down or along
drive the lane drive the baseline
4a
: to direct the motions and course of (a draft animal)
drive an ox
b
: to operate the mechanism and controls and direct the course of (a vehicle)
drive a car
c
: to convey in a vehicle
His father drove me home.
d
: to float (logs) down a stream
5a
: to exert inescapable or coercive pressure on : force
driven by his passions
b
: to compel to undergo or suffer a change (as in situation or emotional state)
drove him crazy drove her out of business
c
: to urge relentlessly to continuous exertion
the sergeant drove his recruits
d
: to press or force into an activity, course, or direction
The drug habit drives addicts to steal.
e
: to project, inject, or impress incisively
drove her point home
6
mining
: to force (a passage) by pressing or digging
drive a tunnel
7a
: to propel (an object of play) swiftly or forcefully
drove a long fly ball to the warning track
b
golf
: to hit (a ball) from the tee especially with a driver (see driver sense f)
drove the ball down the fairway
also
: to drive a golf ball onto (a green)
c
baseball
: to cause (a run or runner) to be scored (see score entry 2 sense 4a(2))
—usually used with in drove him in with a single
8
: to give shape or impulse to
factors that drive the business cycle the ideas that have driven history
1a
: to dash, plunge, or surge ahead rapidly or violently
rudely drove past her
b
: to progress with strong momentum
the rain was driving hard
c
basketball
: to make a quick and forceful move
driving to the hoop
2a
: to operate a vehicle
learned to drive at the age of seventeen
b
: to have oneself carried in a vehicle
drove to Canada as a kid
3
golf
: to drive a golf ball
drove down the fairway
drive at
: to intend to express, convey, or accomplish
couldn't understand what she was driving at
Definition of drive (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: an act of driving:
a
: a trip in a carriage or automobile
a short drive to the coast
b
: an instance of collecting and moving animals (such as game or cattle) together in a desired direction
also
: the animals gathered and driven (see drive entry 1 sense transitive 1a)
c
: a driving of cattle or sheep overland
d
: a hunt or shoot in which the game is driven within the hunter's range
e
: the guiding of logs downstream to a mill
also
: the floating logs amassed in a drive
f(1)
: the act or an instance of propelling an object of play (such as a golf ball) swiftly or forcefully
(2)
: the flight of a ball
a high drive to left field
2a
: a private road : driveway
b
: a public road for driving (as in a park)
3
: the state of being hurried and under pressure
elude the ruthless drive of work and worry— S. H. Adams
4a
: a strong systematic group effort
a fund-raising drive The school held a food drive [=an event to collect food items for donation] to benefit the local shelter.
b
: a sustained offensive (see offensive entry 1 sense 1) effort
the drive ended in a touchdown
5a
mechanical engineering
: the means for giving motion to a machine or machine part
b
: the means by which the propulsive power of an automobile is applied to the road
front wheel drive
c
: the means by which the propulsion of an automotive vehicle is controlled and directed
a left-hand drive
6a
: an offensive, aggressive, or expansionist move
especially
: a strong military attack against enemy-held terrain
b
basketball
: a quick and aggressive move toward the basket
7a
biology
: an urgent, basic, or instinctual need : a motivating physiological condition of an organism
a sexual drive
b
: an impelling culturally acquired concern, interest, or longing
the drive to succeed
c
: dynamic quality
his drive and enthusiasm overcame all obstacles — Times Literary Supplement
8
computers
: a device for reading or writing on magnetic, optical, or electronic media (such as tapes, disks, or flash memory)
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Synonyms for drive
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Noun
- arterial,
- artery,
- avenue,
- boulevard,
- carriageway
- [British],
- drag,
- expressway,
- freeway,
- high road,
- highway,
- pass,
- pike,
- road,
- roadway,
- route,
- row,
- street,
- thoroughfare,
- thruway,
- trace,
- turnpike,
- way
Examples of drive in a Sentence
Verb
He drove the car down a bumpy road.
Do you want to drive or should I?
He is learning to drive.
The car stopped and then drove off.
A car drove by us slowly.
The bus slowly drove away.
We drove all night and arrived at dawn.
We drove 160 miles to get here.
I drive on this route every day.
I drive this route every day.
Noun
It's a two-hour drive to the beach.
Her house is an hour's drive east of Los Angeles.
We took a pleasant drive in the country.
Would you like to go for a drive?
A white car was parked in the drive.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The bill includes additional help for part-time workers and those who drive for Uber, deliver for Grubhub, or otherwise participate in the gig economy.
—
BostonGlobe.com, "Senate Democrats propose sweeping overhaul of unemployment programs that were rocked by pandemic fallout," 14 Apr. 2021
The idea was to slow them down and drive home the lesson not to leave anybody behind.
—
USA Today, "‘Most humiliating punishment imaginable’: Black National Guardsman allegedly forced to wear heavy chain," 14 Apr. 2021
Wright loved to goof around, play sports and drive the car he had just been given by a family member, relatives and family friends said at a news conference Tuesday.
—
Eric Ferkenhoff, USA TODAY, "'He did not deserve this': Family remembers Daunte Wright as an adoring dad who enjoyed playing sports and celebrating the Fourth of July," 14 Apr. 2021
Health officials are finding that younger people who haven’t been vaccinated are helping drive new cases.
—
WSJ, "Covid-19 Live Updates: Newly Reported U.S. Cases Rise After Dipping," 13 Apr. 2021
Capital Economics, a consultancy, predicts that the combination of base effects and a boomy reopening will drive the headline annual rate of inflation close to 4% by May.
—
The Economist, "Pricing in pricing out American inflation shoots up to 2.6%," 13 Apr. 2021
The buses were not there to drive the Spurs back to the team hotel, or to the airport to catch a flight to the next city on their road itinerary.
—
Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio Spurs aim to keep winning streak going - in Tampa?," 13 Apr. 2021
Ky’s work ethic and drive to be great is second to none.
—
oregonlive, "Oregon high school spring season preview: Highlighting standout baseball players," 13 Apr. 2021
People don’t hold grudges or let their frustrations drive their behaviors.
—
Jenn Lofgren, Forbes, "Accountability And The Roles We All Play," 12 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
During the union drive, workers spoke out about aggressive performance goals, low wages and an overheated workplace.
—
Washington Post, "Bezos acknowledges Amazon needs to do ‘a better job’ for employees after union vote," 15 Apr. 2021
While Amazon resoundingly defeated a union drive in Alabama, the matter is far from over as a push for a second election looms.
—
Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner, "End of Alabama battle could be months away as union plots Amazon challenge," 15 Apr. 2021
Upon the election result, the RWDSU immediately called for an investigation into Amazon’s conduct during the union drive, accusing the company of unlawfully interfering with the right of employees to engage in union activity.
—
William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, "After Amazon Bessemer vote, what’s next for unions?," 15 Apr. 2021
Amazon has been aggressively campaigning against the union drive, sending workers texts urging them to vote no, holding mandatory meetings to dissuade unionization, even putting anti-union signs on bathroom stall doors.
—
BostonGlobe.com, "Amazon union vote raises questions for labor advocates," 10 Apr. 2021
According to Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which is behind the Bessemer union drive, the NLRB received 3,215 ballots.
—
Sara Ashley O'brien, CNN, "Amazon gains enough votes to defeat union drive at Alabama warehouse," 9 Apr. 2021
In 2014, a small group of technical workers responsible for maintaining and repairing equipment at an Amazon warehouse in Middletown, Del., mounted a union drive.
—
Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, "Amazon unionization efforts dealt a blow after Alabama vote," 9 Apr. 2021
What Amazon’s victory means for organizing efforts The union drive did succeed in increasing other warehouse workers’ interest in organizing—more than 1,000 Amazon workers have contacted RWDSU about following in Bessemer’s footsteps in recent weeks.
—
Sarah Todd, Quartz, "How Amazon beat the union vote in Bessemer, Alabama," 9 Apr. 2021
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which led the union drive in Bessemer, declined to comment because votes are currently being tallied.
—
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, "Amazon apologizes for denying that its drivers pee in bottles," 5 Apr. 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Learn More about drive
Dictionary Entries near drive
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Last Updated
17 Apr 2021
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Drive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drive. Accessed 19 Apr. 2021.
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More Definitions for drive
drive
verb
English Language Learners Definition of drive
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to direct the movement of (a car, truck, bus, etc.)
of a car, truck, etc.
: to move in a specified manner or direction
: to travel in a car
drive
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of drive (Entry 2 of 2)
: a journey in a car
: a hard area or small road outside of a house where cars can be parked
—used in the name of some public roads —abbr. Dr.
See the full definition for drive in the English Language Learners Dictionary
drive
verb
\ ˈdrīv
\
\
drove\
ˈdrōv
\; driven\
ˈdri-vən
\; driving\
ˈdrī-viŋ
\
Kids Definition of drive
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to direct the movement of
drive a car
2
: to go or carry in a vehicle
drive into town Mom drove me to school.
3
: to move using force
… he used his greater strength to drive the young mouse backwards.— Brian Jacques, Redwall
4
: to push in with force
drive a nail
5
: to set or keep in motion or operation
The machines are driven by electricity.
6
: to carry through
drive a bargain
7
: to force to work or to act
The peasants were driven by hunger to steal.
8
: to bring into a particular condition
That noise is driving me crazy!
drive
nounKids Definition of drive (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a trip in a vehicle
2
: driveway
3
: an often scenic public road
4
: an organized effort to achieve a goal
a fund-raising drive
5
: a strong natural need or desire
the drive to eat
6
: energy and determination to succeed
7
: an act of leading animals in a group to another place
a cattle drive
8
: the means for making a machine or machine part move
9
: a device in a computer that can read information off and copy information onto disks or tape
a disk drive
drive
noun
\ ˈdrīv
\
\
Medical Definition of drive
1
: an urgent, basic, or instinctual need : a motivating physiological condition of the organism
a sexual drive
2
: an impelling culturally acquired concern, interest, or longing
a drive for perfection
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Time Traveler for drive
The first known use of drive was before the 12th century
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