drift

1 of 2

noun

plural drifts
1
a
: the act of driving something along
b
: the flow or the velocity of the current of a river or ocean stream
2
: something driven, propelled, or urged along or drawn together in a clump by or as if by a natural agency: such as
a
: wind-driven snow, rain, cloud, dust, or smoke usually at or near the ground surface
b(1)
: a mass of matter (such as sand) deposited together by or as if by wind or water
(2)
: a helter-skelter accumulation
c
d
: something (such as driftwood) washed ashore
e
: rock debris deposited by natural agents
specifically : a deposit of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders transported by a glacier or by running water from a glacier
3
a
: a general underlying design or tendency
perceiving the drift of the government's policies
b
: the underlying meaning, import, or purport of what is spoken or written
the drift of a conversation
4
: something (such as a tool) driven down upon or forced into a body
5
: the motion or action of drifting especially spatially and usually under external influence: such as
a
: the lateral motion of an aircraft due to air currents
b
: an easy moderate more or less steady flow or sweep along a spatial course
c
: a gradual shift in attitude, opinion, or position
d
: an aimless course
especially : a forgoing of any attempt at direction or control
e
: a deviation from a true reproduction, representation, or reading
especially : a gradual change in the zero reading of an instrument or in any quantitative characteristic that is supposed to remain constant
f
: a deliberate, controlled skid by a vehicle turning through a corner at high speed : an instance of automotive drifting
Backing off the throttle on corner entries induces a soupçon of oversteer, just enough to allow a little sliding at the apex in an easily controlled four-wheel drift, that most delightful of sports-car experiences—when it doesn't hurl one off a cliff.Tony Swan

called also powerslide

6
a
: a nearly horizontal mine passageway driven on or parallel to the course of a vein or rock stratum
b
: a small crosscut in a mine connecting two larger tunnels
7
a
: an assumed trend toward a general change in the structure of a language over a period of time
8
: a grouping of similar flowers planted in an elongated mass
drifty adjective

drift

2 of 2

verb

drifted; drifting; drifts

intransitive verb

1
a
: to become driven or carried along (as by a current of water, wind, or air)
a balloon drifting in the wind
b
: to move or float smoothly and effortlessly
2
a
: to move along a line of least resistance
b
: to move in a random or casual way
c
: to become carried along subject to no guidance or control
the talk drifted from topic to topic
3
a
: to accumulate in a mass or become piled up in heaps by wind or water
drifting snow
b
: to become covered with a drift
4
: to vary or deviate from a set course or adjustment

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to be driven in a current
b
Western US : to drive (livestock) slowly especially to allow grazing
2
a
: to pile in heaps
b
: to cover with drifts
driftingly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for drift

tendency, trend, drift, tenor, current mean movement in a particular direction.

tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces

the drift of the population away from large cities

or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

got the drift of her argument

tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

Examples of drift in a Sentence

Noun the slow drift of the clouds As she got older, you could observe a drift in her writing towards more serious subjects. the government's drift towards a centralization of power Verb The boat slowly drifted out to sea. The clouds drifted across the sky. The snow drifted against the side of the house. Drifting snow covered most of the car. The party guests drifted from room to room, eating and mingling. Her eyes drifted across the crowd. The conversation drifted from topic to topic. My thoughts drifted back to the time when we first met. After he left the army he just drifted for a few years. She drifted from job to job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But the regional drift away from nonrecognition and toward de facto normalization with the Taliban has actively eroded that assumption. Asfandyar Mir, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2024 At least 5 feet of snow pummeled the resort, but strong winds carried snow into even taller piles creating snow drifts. Susannah Cullinane, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The court may need to look to cases involving ethical dilemmas, governance issues, and mission drift to find a broader context from which to interpret the implications of Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI. Andrew Leahey, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The rotating snake illusion is an example of a peripheral drift induced by repeating, asymmetric luminance patterns. Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024 California is currently acting on this issue by helping fishermen phase out use of large-mesh drift gill nets in state waters. Heather Welch, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2024 These long rods help anglers control their drifts with more precision. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 14 Feb. 2024 Some of Mimas’s drift, the researchers say, can only be explained if the layer-cake structure of the moon itself features an icy shell that slides around on top of a liquid-water ocean. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Feb. 2024 There’s no drift in the sound and the distortion levels are so low. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Children can peek out the windows and see the current drifting by at eye level. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 That makes travel especially hazardous — and there could be a bit of blowing or drifting, though that's more likely farther west into Minnesota and the snow will be more heavy and compact. Journal Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2024 The snow and wind will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow as well as possible blizzard conditions Sunday into Monday. Dalia Faheid, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024 Most would drift toward Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2024 Boll divorced and married twice more—first to a Polish count in 1931, then to a harpist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1940—and gradually drifted from public view. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024 The balloon then floats up, folds over on itself and drifts out of frame. USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 Harrison was nevertheless surprised at how quickly the salty plume drifted skywards. Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 By the end of the year, Barclays expects overall inflation to slow modestly to 2.9% while the core reading drifts down to 3.1% – both still notably above the Fed’s 2% goal. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English; akin to Old English drīfan to drive — more at drive

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3a

Time Traveler
The first known use of drift was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near drift

Cite this Entry

“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drift. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

drift

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a drifting motion or course
b
: the flow or the velocity of a river or ocean stream
2
a
: wind-driven snow, rain, cloud, dust, or smoke usually near the ground
b
: a mass of matter (as sand) deposited by or as if by wind or water
c
: a deposit of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders transported by a glacier or by running water from a glacier
3
a
: a course something appears to be taking
b
: the underlying meaning of what is said or written
following the drift of the conversation

drift

2 of 2 verb
1
: to become or cause to be driven or carried along by a current of water, wind, or air
2
: to move along without effort
3
: to be piled up in heaps by wind or water
driftingly adverb

Medical Definition

drift

noun
1
: movement of a tooth in the dental arch
2
drift intransitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on drift

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