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 British royal family turned out in droves Saturday for the intimate nuptials of Harriet Sperling and Peter Phillips. —Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 6 June 2026

Media and fandom fueled the trial’s chaotic atmosphere Given Jackson’s stardom, news and tabloid media swarmed the scene of the trial along with droves of dedicated fans (and a much smaller contingent of detractors). —Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026

Fans obliged in droves, popping off their shirts and bringing a building that had stagnated into stressed silence back to the top of its register. —Sean Gentille, New York Times, 5 June 2026

Yet there Knicks fans were, in droves, cheering their team on in their first NBA Finals appearance in a quarter-century. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 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"