Thesaurus
drive
Synonyms and Antonyms of drive
1 a passage cleared for public vehicular travel raced our motorcycles along the drive Synonyms arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, carriageway [British], drag, way, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, route, row, street, thoroughfare, thruway, trace, turnpikeRelated Words causeway; autobahn, autoroute, autostrada, dual carriageway [chiefly British], interstate, motorway [chiefly British], superhighway; beltway, bypass, parkway, ring road [chiefly British]; corniche, switchback; through street; high street [British], Main Street; backstreet, branch, bystreet, byway, crossroad, secondary road, shunpike, side road, side street; alley, alleyway; circle, lane, laneway [British], mews [chiefly British], place; close [chiefly British], cul-de-sac, dead end; corridor; track, trail
2 a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band Synonyms bandwagon, blitz, cause, crusade, campaign, juggernaut, movement, pushRelated Words assault, attack, maneuver, march, offensive; action, bid, enterprise, initiative, mission, project, undertaking
3 a strong wish for something a drive to succeed in the television news business Synonyms appetency, appetite, craving, desire, hankering, hunger, itch, jones [slang], letch, longing, lust, passion, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yenRelated Words compulsion, impulse, impulsion, will, zeal; liking, love, taste, weakness; eagerness, impatience; want, wish; necessity, need, requirement; obsession; acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, covetousness, cupidity, greed, greediness, rapaciousness, rapacity; cacoëthes, maniaNear Antonyms abhorrence, abomination, allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disgust, disinclination, dislike, disliking, distaste, hatred, loathing, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion; apathy, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern
4 active strength of body or mind senior citizens who exercise regularly are more likely to have the drive to keep up with their grandchildren Synonyms beans, bounce, brio, dash, vigor, dynamism, energy, esprit, gas, get-up-and-go, ginger, go, gusto, hardihood, juice, life, moxie, oomph, pep, punch, sap, snap, starch, verve, vim, vinegar, vitality, zing, zipRelated Words animal spirits, animation, briskness, jauntiness, liveliness, snappiness, spirit, spiritedness, sprightliness, spunk, spunkiness, vibrance, vibrancy, vivaciousness, vivacity; ardor, élan, fervor, fire, passion, zeal; main, metal, mettle, might, muscle, potency, power, puissance, stamina, strength; brawniness, fitness, hardiness, huskiness, sturdiness, virility; health, healthiness, soundness, verdure, wellnessNear Antonyms indolence, laziness; debilitation, debility, delicacy, disablement, enfeeblement, faintness, feebleness, frailness, frailty, impotence, impotency, infirmity, powerlessness, puniness, slightness, softness, tenderness, weakness; enervation, exhaustion, inanition, prostrationAntonyms lethargy, listlessness, sluggishness, torpidity
5 readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity a great opportunity for a sales representative who is full of drive Synonyms action, aggressiveness, ambition, enterprise, go, hustle, initiativeRelated Words grit, gumption, pluck, snap, spirit, spunk, starch; ambitiousness, killer instinct, overambitiousness; assertiveness, self-reliance; energy, hardihood, pep, vigor, vitalityNear Antonyms inactivity, inertia, passivity; diffidence, faintheartedness, timidity; hesitation, reluctance; indolence, laziness, lethargy
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
drive
Synonyms and Antonyms of drive
1 to urge, push, or force onward cowboys drove the herd of cattle from San Antonio to San Francisco Synonyms herd, punch, run Related Words shepherd; wrangle; egg, exhort, flog, goad, hound, press, prick, prod, prompt, scourge, spur, whip
2 to travel by a motorized vehicle I'm going to drive across the country—want to come? Synonyms automobile, motor, tool Related Words roll, wheel; joyride; chauffeur, hack, taxi; ride; drag, race
3 to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one drove the plunger into the opening Synonyms push, propel, shove, thrustRelated Words impel, move; bear (down), compress, depress, jam, pressure, squash, squeeze, weigh (upon); bulldoze, compel, force, lean (on or against), muscle, ram
4 to cause (a person) to give in to pressure the corrupt governor was driven out of office Synonyms blackjack, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, force, impel, impress, make, muscle, obligate, oblige, press, pressure, sandbagRelated Words browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, hector, intimidate; blackmail, high-pressure, menace, shame, terrorize, threaten; drag; badger, harass, houndNear Antonyms allow, let, permit; argue, convince, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)
5 to cause to function machinery driven by waterpower Synonyms actuate, crank (up), activate, move, run, set off, spark, start, touch off, trigger, turn onRelated Words kick over, turn over; charge, electrify, energize, fire, fuel, generate, power, push; discharge, launch, release, switch, trip; reactivate, recharge; arouse, excite, jump-start, kick-start, stimulate, vitalize; ignite, incite, instigate, provoke, quicken, stir up; accelerate, catalyze, speed (up), step upNear Antonyms arrest, brake, check, cut off, draw up, halt, jam, stall, stick, stop; decelerate, repress, slow, stunt, suppressAntonyms cut, cut out, deactivate, kill, shut off, turn off
6 to set or keep in motion this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft Synonyms actuate, move, impel, propel, workRelated Words activate, motivate, provoke; abet, ferment, foment, incite, raise, stir (up), whip (up); set off, trigger, trip; arouse, excite, fire (up), galvanize, inflame (also enflame), inspire, instigate, rouse, stimulateNear Antonyms bridle, check, constrain, contain, control, curb, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain
7 to proceed or move quickly the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop Synonyms barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb [slang], bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, hurry, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoomRelated Words beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle; stampede, streak, whiz (or whizz); gallop, jog, sprint; accelerate, quicken, step out; catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake; arrow, beelineNear Antonyms dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up)Antonyms crawl, creep, poke
Learn More about drive
-
Dictionary: Definition of drive Medical Dictionary: Definition of drive Spanish Central: Translation of drive Nglish: Translation of drive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of drive for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drive
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up drive? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!