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Synonyms

driving

American  
[drahy-ving] / ˈdraɪ vɪŋ /

adjective

  1. demanding a high or unreasonable rate of work from subordinates.

  2. vigorously active; energetic.

    a driving young executive.

  3. having force and violence.

    a driving storm.

  4. relaying or transmitting power.

  5. used while operating a vehicle.

    driving gloves.
driving British  
/ ˈdraɪvɪŋ /

adjective

  1. having or moving with force and violence

    driving rain

  2. forceful or energetic

  3. relating to the controlling of a motor vehicle in motion

    driving test
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of driving

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; drive + -ing 2

Vocabulary lists containing driving

Unit 2, Week 3

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Metro officials estimate the rail will typically be faster than driving, with a ride from Union Station to Wilshire/La Cienega taking 21 minutes, while driving can typically take about 45 minutes.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Charging infrastructure, government policy, affordability, driving habits, and personal politics all play a role in EV penetration.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

The timing of the output decline and the rise in prices “could hardly be worse,” as the U.S. driving season unofficially begins with the Memorial Day holiday at the end of May, the J.P.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

All of this that we’re living through and that our neighbors feel is so much bigger than whatever clickbait outrage is driving the cable news cycle today and will be forgotten by Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

I stood on the runners and pretended that I was driving a team of barking dogs.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.