DRIFTER Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

drifter

noun

ˈdrif-tər

Definition of drifter

as in nomad

a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination the drifter just packed up and moved on to the next dead-end job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drifter Popham, a drifter, small-time criminal, and frequent drug user, lived with the Bunyard family intermittently. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 Arngrim, 64, has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it (yet still unforgettable) moment in Episode 2 of the Netflix series playing Ida, a forest drifter who meets up with Laura (Alice Halsey) and her older sister Mary (Skywalker Hughes). — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 11 July 2026 Jellyfish are also passive drifters, meaning that they are often unintentionally carried towards shore by powerful ocean currents. — New Atlas, 30 June 2026 Joining the crew is Nick (MacKay), desperate to provide for his young family, and Liam (Turner), a mysterious drifter eager to escape his past. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for drifter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifter

Noun

Christian and Adam Bonke will present Perfect Road, chronicling a man living as a nomad on his bicycle for 10 years.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
On the side streets, small stands sell bad food and plastic trinkets, while a few Travellers, Ireland’s indigenous nomads, work rival fortune-telling franchises.

— Susan Neiman, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of nomad

Noun

Flights gradually resumed, but significant delays were expected through the evening while crews worked to restore service and airlines offered some travelers fee-free changes.

— Josh Funk, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Design and hospitality collaborations are on the rise as consumers and travelers seek exclusive experiences and stays.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of traveler

Noun

Despite the different sunglass trends that are out there—tiny sunglasses, cat-eyes, wayfarers—aviators continue to remain Aniston’s favorite.

— Samantha Sutton, InStyle, 22 July 2026
In high school, my friends and I became subway wayfarers, traveling in search of great high-school games.

— Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026

Definition of wayfarer

Noun

Anyway, no longer satisfied with making sure that the theatrical trains run on time, Anna is a national parks vagabond, going from job to job, never laying down roots.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
His divorces ultimately left him scrambling for stability and turned him into a kind of moneyed vagabond, living out of suitcases.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 May 2026

Definition of vagabond

Browse Nearby Words

drifted

drifter

drifters

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Drifter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifter. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of drifter

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compendious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes