drove

1 of 2

noun

ˈdrōv 

1

: a group of animals driven or moving in a body

2

: a large number : crowd

—usually used in plural especially with in

came in droves

drove

2 of 2

past tense of drive

Synonyms of drove

Noun

• flock
• swarm
• throng
• crowd
• horde

Examples of drove in a Sentence

Noun

people flocked to the annual festival in droves

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The parkway was evacuated Saturday evening while droves of people were still in line to enter due to approaching thunderstorms. — Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Korea, after all, is where the term originated, and droves of K-beauty products are formulated specifically to achieve ultimate clarity, bounciness, and light-reflecting dewiness. — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 1 July 2026

In the last 20 minutes before kick, droves of fans have made their way into the stadium and the energy is starting to pick up. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026

Join the droves of shoppers buying this cute henley top with a relaxed fit. — Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English drāf, from drīfan to drive — more at drive

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing drove

• drove him to an early grave

Rhymes for drove

• cove
• rove
• shrove
• stove
• strove
• throve
• trove
• wove
• alcove
• mangrove

Kids Definition

drove

1 of 2 noun

ˈdrōv 

1

: a group of animals driven or moving in a body

2

: a crowd of people moving or acting together

drove

2 of 2

past of drive

Etymology

Noun

Old English drāf "group of animals moving together," from drīfan "to drive"