Synonyms of driven

driven 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdri-vən 

as in obsessive

caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge

a man with a driven need to be loved or liked by everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obsessive
• impulsive
• compulsive
• spontaneous
• automatic
• obsessional
• instinctive
• uncontrollable
• besetting
• mechanical
• reflex
• conditioned
• irrepressible
• unconscious
• unthinking
• unpredictable
• knee-jerk
• involuntary
• unwitting
• whimsical
• capricious

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• voluntary
• willful
• controllable
• manageable
• unforced
• resistible

driven

2 of 2

verb

past participle of drive

1

as in run

to urge, push, or force onward

cowboys drove the herd of cattle from San Antonio to San Francisco

Synonyms & Similar Words

• run
• shepherded
• herded
• punched
• whipped
• spurred
• hounded
• prompted
• prodded
• goaded
• pressed
• exhorted
• pricked
• egged
• wrangled
• flogged
• scourged

2

as in tooled

to travel by a motorized vehicle

I'm going to drive across the country—want to come?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tooled
• raced
• ridden
• motored
• taxied
• automobiled
• chauffeured
• rolled
• wheeled
• dragged
• hacked
• joyridden

3

as in pushed

to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one

drove the plunger into the opening

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pushed
• shoved
• thrust
• propelled
• moved
• squeezed
• forced
• impelled
• compressed
• borne (down)
• compelled
• pressured
• weighed (upon)
• jammed
• depressed
• leaned (on or against)
• squashed
• rammed
• muscled
• bulldozed

4

as in forced

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure

the corrupt governor was driven out of office

Synonyms & Similar Words

• forced
• pressed
• compelled
• made
• impelled
• constrained
• dragged
• coerced
• pressured
• obliged
• dragooned
• impressed
• muscled
• obligated
• blackjacked
• sandbagged
• threatened
• bulldozed
• twisted one's arm
• browbeaten
• bullied
• terrorized
• intimidated
• cowed
• hectored
• menaced
• blackmailed
• hounded
• shamed
• harassed
• badgered
• high-pressured

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• let
• allowed
• permitted
• moved
• induced
• convinced
• argued
• satisfied
• talked (into)
• won (over)
• persuaded
• prevailed (on or upon)

5

as in powered

to cause to function

machinery driven by waterpower

Synonyms & Similar Words

• powered
• fueled
• triggered
• moved
• generated
• actuated
• set off
• started
• activated
• run
• sparked
• turned on
• touched off
• cranked (up)
• pushed
• electrified
• fired
• launched
• charged
• turned over
• energized
• accelerated
• switched
• stimulated
• released
• ignited
• provoked
• discharged
• tripped
• kicked over
• instigated
• incited
• recharged
• aroused
• reactivated
• excited
• quickened
• catalyzed
• stirred up
• vitalized
• stepped up
• jump-started
• kick-started
• sped (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• killed
• cut
• stopped
• shut off
• cut out
• turned off
• checked
• stuck
• arrested
• halted
• cut off
• stalled
• drawn up
• jammed
• slowed
• suppressed
• deactivated
• braked
• stunted
• repressed
• decelerated

6

as in moved

to set or keep in motion

this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft

Synonyms & Similar Words

• moved
• propelled
• activated
• actuated
• worked
• impelled
• raised
• motivated
• provoked
• triggered
• set off
• stimulated
• stirred (up)
• whipped (up)
• incited
• inspired
• abetted
• fermented
• instigated
• roused
• fomented
• tripped
• fired (up)
• aroused
• excited
• galvanized
• inflamed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• controlled
• contained
• checked
• regulated
• constrained
• restrained
• inhibited
• curbed
• bridled
• reined (in)

7

as in raced

to proceed or move quickly

the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop

Synonyms & Similar Words

• raced
• sped
• flown
• trotted
• jumped
• buzzed
• hurried
• rushed
• bolted
• run
• scurried
• rammed
• zipped
• chased
• stepped
• scooted
• traveled
• darted
• blown
• dashed
• scuttled
• blasted
• jogged
• hurled
• motored
• torn
• careened
• hastened
• ripped
• rocketed
• careered
• hustled
• whisked
• coursed
• whirled
• hurtled
• bundled
• zoomed
• blazed
• cracked (on)
• bowled
• barreled
• breezed
• humped
• hared
• bustled
• shot
• belted
• pelted
• nipped
• rustled
• stepped on it
• beaten it
• hied
• jetted
• made tracks
• bombed
• cannonballed
• highballed
• accelerated
• shaken a leg
• got a move on
• flitted
• hotfooted (it)
• scampered
• sprinted
• streaked
• scudded
• stampeded
• overtaken
• galloped
• whizzed
• beetled
• scuffled
• quickened
• outpaced
• stepped out
• outrun
• outstripped
• arrowed
• caught up
• fast-forwarded
• beelined

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• crept
• dragged
• crawled
• poked
• lingered
• lagged
• hung (around or out)
• poked
• strolled
• loitered
• shuffled
• sauntered
• tarried
• ambled
• dallied
• lumbered
• plodded
• slowed (down or up)
• dawdled
• decelerated
• dillydallied

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of driven

Adjective

Even among the driven few, only a fraction of kids use ed-tech tools such as Khanmigo enough to see any gains. — Mike Goldstein, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026

The same review found that late luteal cravings for carbohydrates and comfort food are physiologically driven, not a willpower failure. — Allison Palmer updated June 13, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026

Verb

But across Gaza, students and teachers are improvising with what is left, still driven by the promise of education. — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026

Anti-immigrant marches and vigilante groups have driven a wave of social upheaval in South Africa this year, often blaming foreign migrants for the country's high crime rate. — Rael Ombuor The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026