Synonyms of drifted

drifted

verb

past tense of drift

1

as in flowed

to move or proceed smoothly and readily

casual conversation drifting from one topic to another

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flowed
• sailed
• glided
• slipped
• swept
• slid
• rolled
• brushed
• cruised
• flew
• raced
• sped
• rushed
• streamed
• coasted
• skimmed
• bowled
• breezed
• whisked

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• struggled
• floundered
• stumbled
• trudged
• limped
• shuffled
• plodded
• lumbered
• stamped
• labored
• stomped
• tramped
• toiled
• stumped
• shambled

2

as in hovered

to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air

the boat drifted along on the current

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hovered
• sailed
• floated
• swam
• glided
• wafted
• rode
• bobbed
• poised
• hung
• suspended
• dangled
• buoyed
• rafted
• ballooned

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• settled
• sank
• plunged
• dived
• lunged
• submerged
• immersed
• dipped
• submersed

3

as in wandered

to move about from place to place aimlessly

spent several years drifting from town to town, picking up odd jobs whenever he needed cash

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wandered
• roamed
• strolled
• floated
• cruised
• meandered
• ranged
• roved
• knocked (about)
• rambled
• traipsed
• batted
• sauntered
• gallivanted
• ambled
• mooched
• maundered
• strayed
• gadded (about)
• kicked around
• dawdled
• straggled
• tramped
• moped
• hoboed
• milled (about or around)
• vagabonded

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of drifted

But here, Desire Doue played a little deeper than usual, and Kylian Mbappe drifted over to that side, always ready to break. — Michael Cox, New York Times, 10 July 2026

Short-form social content that recruits new audiences and reactivates the ones who drifted away. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

The conversation naturally drifted toward another musical giant in Prince. — Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 9 July 2026

Last week, two more incoming Democratic members called for an end to immigration enforcement, showing how far that party has drifted. — Scott Singer, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026

The 33-year-old defense tech leader argued that American universities have drifted away from teaching practical skills, leaving China with a growing advantage that goes beyond cheap labor. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 July 2026

Around the communal tables, conversations paused as traditional Vietnamese court music drifted through the room. — Karen Yuan, Vogue, 3 July 2026

What righty Cade Cavalli shouted at Willson Contreras drifted into the Boston night, fading just beyond the field’s ears and scarcely repeated by the mouths of those who heard. — Noah White, Washington Post, 1 July 2026

Davis drifted away from professional musicianship, in part to focus on her education, but the couple continued playing commercially with The Luxembourg Signal for many years. — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2026