adrift

American  

[uh-drift] / əˈdrɪft /

adjective

1. floating without control; drifting; not anchored or moored.

   The survivors were adrift in the rowboat for three days.

2. lacking aim, direction, or stability.

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adrift British  

/ əˈdrɪft /

adjective

1. floating without steering or mooring; drifting

2. without purpose; aimless

3. informal off course or amiss

   the project went adrift

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Etymology

Origin of adrift

First recorded in 1615–25; a- ¹ + drift

Explanation

If something's adrift, it's floating, not tied down or anchored. A raft that's adrift on a river will float downstream. If a ship goes adrift, it meanders off course, simply traveling with the water rather than on a charted course. Likewise, if you feel your life has gone figuratively adrift, you may have lost track of your plans and feel like you're wandering without a purpose. The word adrift comes from the sense of drift that means "a slow movement from one place to another," from an Old Norse root word.

Example Sentences

He spends chapters meditating on trauma and fatherhood, on periods of feeling spiritually adrift, on coming to love a “majestic” faith tradition while remaining connected to the rowdy evangelicals of his childhood.

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026

They eventually ended it in seventh after winning only five of their 18 Prem matches, leaving them a whopping 27 points adrift of the play-off spots.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Now, your costume is a leotard with a skirt sewn onto it, so that if you raise your arms, it doesn't come adrift.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

But her efforts are no match for a big storm that sets the house adrift in the wild sea.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Carl, he must have said, I am sorry for what has come between us, but here on the water, adrift in the fog, I plead with you for your help.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Related Words

• afloat