drift

American  

[drift] / drɪft /

noun

1. a driving movement or force; impulse; impetus; pressure.

2. Navigation. (of a ship) the component of the movement that is due to the force of wind and currents.

3. Oceanography. a broad, shallow ocean current that advances at the rate of 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km) a day.

4. Nautical.

   1. the flow or the speed in knots of an ocean current.

   2. the distance between the end of a rope and the part in use.

   3. the distance between two blocks in a tackle.

   4. the difference in diameter between two parts, one of which fits within the other, as a mast and its mast hoops, or a treenail and its hole.

5. Aeronautics. the deviation of an aircraft from a set course due to cross winds.

6. the course along which something moves; tendency; aim.

   The drift of political events after the war was toward chaos.

7. meaning; intent; purport.

   the drift of a statement.

   Synonyms:

   tenor

8. something driven, as animals, rain, etc.

9. a heap of any matter driven together.

10. a snowdrift.

11. Geology. glacial drift.

12. the state or process of being driven.

13. overbearing power or influence.

14. Military. a tool used in charging an ordnance piece.

15. Electronics.

    1. a gradual change in some operating characteristic of a circuit, tube, or other electronic device, either during a brief period as an effect of warming up or during a long period as an effect of continued use.

    2. the movement of charge carriers in a semiconductor due to the influence of an applied voltage.

16. Linguistics. gradual change in the structure of a language.

17. Machinery.

    1. Also called driftpin.  a round, tapering piece of steel for enlarging holes in metal, or for bringing holes in line to receive rivets or bolts.

    2. a flat, tapered piece of steel used to drive tools with tapered shanks, as drill bits, from their holders.

18. Civil Engineering. a secondary tunnel between two main tunnels or shafts.

19. Mining. an approximately horizontal passageway in underground mining.

20. Physics. the movement of charged particles under the influence of an electric field.

21. Aerospace. the gradual deviation of a rocket or guided missile from its intended trajectory.

22. Mechanics. displacement of the gimbals of a gyroscope due to friction on bearings, unbalance of the gyroscope's mass or other imperfections.

23. the thrust of an arched structure.

24. Dentistry. a shift of the teeth from their normal position in the dental arch.

25. Western U.S. a flock of animals or birds.

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verb (used without object)

1. to be carried along by currents of water or air, or by the force of circumstances.

2. to wander aimlessly.

   He drifts from town to town.

3. to be driven into heaps, as by the wind.

   drifting sand.

4. to deviate or vary from a set course or adjustment.

verb (used with object)

1. to carry along.

   The current drifted the boat to sea.

2. to drive into heaps.

   The wind drifted the snow.

3. Machinery.

   1. to enlarge (a punched or drilled hole) with a drift.

   2. to align or straighten (holes, especially rivet holes) with a drift.

verb phrase

1. drift off to fall asleep gradually.

drift British  

/ drɪft /

verb

1. (also tr) to be carried along by or as if by currents of air or water or (of a current) to carry (a vessel, etc) along

2. to move aimlessly from place to place or from one activity to another

3. to wander or move gradually away from a fixed course or point; stray

4. (also tr) (of snow, sand, etc) to accumulate in heaps or banks or to drive (snow, sand, etc) into heaps or banks

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noun

1. something piled up by the wind or current, such as a snowdrift

2. tendency, trend, meaning, or purport

   the drift of the argument

3. a state of indecision or inaction

4. the extent to which a vessel, aircraft, projectile, etc is driven off its course by adverse winds, tide, or current

5. a general tendency of surface ocean water to flow in the direction of the prevailing winds

   North Atlantic Drift

6. a driving movement, force, or influence; impulse

7. a controlled four-wheel skid, used by racing drivers to take bends at high speed

8. a loose unstratified deposit of sand, gravel, etc, esp one transported and deposited by a glacier or ice sheet

9. a horizontal passage in a mine that follows the mineral vein

10. something, esp a group of animals, driven along by human or natural agencies

    a drift of cattle

11. Also called: driftpin.  a tapering steel tool driven into holes to enlarge or align them before bolting or riveting

12. an uncontrolled slow change in some operating characteristic of a piece of equipment, esp an electronic circuit or component

13. linguistics gradual change in a language, esp in so far as this is influenced by the internal structure of the language rather than by contact with other languages

14. a ford

15. engineering a copper or brass bar used as a punch

drift Idioms  

1. see get the drift.

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Usage

What does drift mean? To drift is to be carried along by water or air currents, the way a rubber duck might drift around in a tub. To drift is also to carry something along, as an air current drifts dead leaves through the air. This force of motion is also called a drift, as in The ocean drift carried my boogie board out to sea!Related to this, drift can also mean to wander aimlessly. This sense can be used literally, as when you walk around a theme park with no specific destination in mind. It can also be used figuratively, as when you’re telling a friend a story about your cat and you drift into an unrelated story about your favorite video game. When we’re falling asleep slowly, we sometimes say we’re drifting off to sleep. Drift can also refer to a purpose or meaning. As your science teacher explains a new concept, you might understand a little of it, getting the drift of it, but not yet understand all of what they’re talking about. Example: We saw an empty raft drifting down the river.

Related Words

See tendency.

Other Word Forms

• driftingly
  adverb
• driftless
  adjective
• driftlessness
  noun
• drifty
  adjective
• undrifting
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of drift

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English drift, noun derivative of the Old English verb drīfan drive; cognate with Dutch drift “herd, flock,” German Trift “herd, pasturage, road to pasture”

Explanation

If you get my drift, you get the basic meaning of what I'm saying. Or, if you move around without a seeming fixed destination, you are said to drift — whether you're a snowflake or just a wanderer. Interestingly, the verb to drift can be used either approvingly or disapprovingly. We rather admire the freedom of certain objects that drift, such as snow drifts or drift wood, but applied to people we're a bit more critical: we tend to harbor suspicions of the carefree Gypsy or nomad, hence the moral criticism (and danger) inherent in the term drifters.

Example Sentences

“The result is a more fragile setup: positioning can drift higher in calm markets, but is increasingly exposed to rapid de-risking, pointing to weaker support and rising downside risk from systematic flows,” Barclays said.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Smoke from the flames spread throughout the L.A. area on Sunday and was expected to drift throughout the region through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Once ladled into low bowls, each serving got a single glossy egg yolk and a small drift of fresh lemon zest.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

“The index’s recent stability is a notable break from the ETI’s downward drift throughout 2025,” said Mitchell Barnes, an economist at The Conference Board.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

Walter and the other haints drift into the room, their eyeless faces watching what’s becoming of their mistress.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• amble
• dance
• flit
• float
• flow
• flutter
• hover
• linger
• meander
• ride
• sail
• slide
• stray
• stroll
• waft
• wander
• wash