drive

verb

\ ˈdrīv

drove\ ˈdrōv

\; driven\ ˈdri-vən

\; driving\ ˈdrī-viŋ

Definition of drive

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

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

drive

noun, often attributive

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

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)

Other Words from drive Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about drive

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Other Words from drive

Verb

drivability or less commonly driveability \ ˌdrī-və-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

drivable or less commonly driveable \ ˈdrī-və-bəl

\ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for drive

Verb

move, actuate, drive, impel mean to set or keep in motion. move is very general and implies no more than the fact of changing position. moved the furniture actuate stresses transmission of power so as to work or set in motion. turbines actuated by waterpower drive implies imparting forward and continuous motion and often stresses the effect rather than the impetus. a ship driven aground by hurricane winds impel is usually figurative and suggests a great motivating impetus. a candidate impelled by ambition

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Engage your core, squeeze your right glutes, and drive through the heel of your right foot to step up onto the platform, lightly setting your left toes on top, but keeping most of the weight in your right leg. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "Work Your Entire Lower Body With This One Bodyweight Exercise," 21 Apr. 2019 With the van running, the two explored the red rocks of Sedona, AZ; toured Yellowstone National Park; drove through Montana; and had an impromptu science class poking around tidal pools along California’s coastline. — Kristin Hanes, Good Housekeeping, "Why This Single Mom Sold Everything to Give Her Son an Epic Education on the Road," 18 Apr. 2019 The cavernous cargo cabin measures 39.6 feet long by 10.6 feet wide, with a drive-on, drive-off rear loading ramp for embarking cargo and wheeled vehicles. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Russia Is Still Selling the World’s Largest Helicopter, 40 Years After First Flight," 16 Apr. 2019 As Raymond and Villanelle drive away, Eve (Sandra Oh) arrives at the scene to answer Villanelle's call. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Jodie Comer on Her Favorite Killing Eve Episode and Meeting Villanelle's Match," 15 Apr. 2019 Research has even found that loud music can drive unhealthy food choices, and the chronic stress reaction from constant noise has been linked to diabetes, respiratory disorders, and cancer. — Meghan Rabbitt, Woman's Day, "How To Recapture Peace and Quiet In a Noisy World," 27 Mar. 2019 The country’s largest bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co., said a bright economy and strong lending drove it to a record profit in the first quarter. — David Benoit And Rachel Louise Ensign, WSJ, "JPMorgan Posts Record Profit, but Interest Rates Cloud Outlook," 12 Apr. 2019 Faucets If aesthetics are the driving force behind your kitchen redesign, pay extra attention to your faucet. — Jessica Dailey, Good Housekeeping, "Sinks," 11 Feb. 2019 Uber is looking for external investors, including SoftBank and an unnamed car maker, to take a stake in its self-driving vehicle unit, The Wall Street Journal reported last week, citing a valuation of between $5 and $10 billion. — Stephen Wilmot, WSJ, "The Long, Shared Road to Driverless Cars," 18 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

During our first drive in the 2019 Blazer, through the rugged passes and beach vistas of San Diego, the thinking began to shine through. — Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, "2019 Chevy Blazer Test Drive: What Happened When GM Tried To Make the Crossover Cool," 4 Feb. 2019 Samsung just revealed its new solid state drive (SSD) lineup that has up to 4TB of storage capacity. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "Samsung’s new line of 860 QVO SSDs offers big storage at an appealing price," 27 Nov. 2018 People have even stopped me in my drive and asked how they can get tested. — Fox News, "Garden sign seeking kidney donor yields 30 volunteers," 25 Sep. 2018 Three decades later, his competitive drive still burns brightly but his fundamental understanding of his place in the coaching universe is different. — Matt Le Cren, chicagotribune.com, "Welcome to the hall: Naperville Central coach Ed Watson looks back on stellar 26-year career in girls soccer," 13 July 2018 The familiar landmarks along his drive are gone, too. — Lizzie Johnson, SFChronicle.com, "First person to rebuild after Wine Country fires finds frontier of hope," 30 June 2018 A few minutes after Rawan started her maiden drive as a student at the Saudi Driving School in Riyadh, the car began to make an ominous grinding noise. — Aryn Baker, Time, "Is the End of Saudi Arabia's Driving Ban a Rebrand or a Revolution?," 28 June 2018 Giard added that the town's sunflower mural project is underway, with Jewett City Savings Bank hosting the first of the sunflower paintings on its drive-through ATM. — Janice Steinhagen, Courant Community, "Griswold Business Leaders Gather For Annual Summit," 27 June 2018 The finale seemingly confirmed the theory, as Stubbs tells Halores all about his core drives and past association with the park. — Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Westworld': Here's Who Is Still Alive Heading Into Season 3," 26 June 2018

These 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.