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 two films, directed by 20-something-year-olds who came from YouTube, exploded all box-office expectations while ushering in droves of Gen Z audiences back to cinemas. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

These major metropolitan areas have strong housing markets, with droves of wealthier buyers keeping housing supplies in those areas low. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026

Martínez’s double drove in two runs for a 12-7 lead, and Halpin was thrown out at the plate. — ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026

Feathers and florals came in droves with this latest collection, appearing on everything from boudoir-style dresses and wraps to red-carpet-ready pieces like the one Miller wore on Tuesday night in New York City. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 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"