Synonyms for drift
drɪft

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. drift, impetus, impulsion(noun)

   a force that moves something along

   Synonyms:
   trend, impetus, movement, heading, purport, impulsion, gallery, impulse

2. drift(noun)

   the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane)

   Synonyms:
   gallery, impulsion, heading, impetus, trend, purport, movement

3. drift(noun)

   a process of linguistic change over a period of time

   Synonyms:
   gallery, impulsion, heading, impetus, trend, purport, movement

4. drift(noun)

   a large mass of material that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents

   Synonyms:
   gallery, impulsion, heading, impetus, trend, purport, movement

5. drift, trend, movement(noun)

   a general tendency to change (as of opinion)

   "not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book"; "a broad movement of the electorate to the right"

   Synonyms:
   impulsion, apparent motion, bm, effort, vogue, front, purport, trend, drive, tendency, gallery, move, movement, campaign, style, apparent movement, motion, cause, social movement, bowel movement, impetus, crusade, motility, course, heading

6. drift, purport(noun)

   the pervading meaning or tenor

   "caught the general drift of the conversation"

   Synonyms:
   trend, impetus, movement, heading, purport, spirit, impulsion, gallery, intent

7. drift, heading, gallery(verb)

   a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine

   "they dug a drift parallel with the vein"

   Synonyms:
   trend, picture gallery, head, header, art gallery, bearing, impetus, movement, heading, aim, purport, veranda, impulsion, gallery, verandah

8. float, drift, be adrift, blow(verb)

   be in motion due to some air or water current

   "The leaves were blowing in the wind"; "the boat drifted on the lake"; "The sailboat was adrift on the open sea"; "the shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore"

   Synonyms:
   swash, rove, vagabond, botch, ramble, bungle, muck up, range, mishandle, bumble, botch up, brag, stray, blow, tout, burn out, screw up, suck, gasconade, roll, fumble, flub, fellate, cast, ball up, err, freewheel, bollocks, wander, shoot a line, mess up, shove off, waste, louse up, bollocks up, float, gas, bollix, bluster, vaunt, swan, muff, tramp, blow out, swim, foul up, boast, fluff, bobble, go down on, be adrift, shove along, bollix up, squander, spoil, roam, bodge

9. stray, err, drift(verb)

   wander from a direct course or at random

   "The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her"; "don't drift from the set course"

   Synonyms:
   ramble, rove, range, stray, divagate, err, cast, roam, be adrift, swan, roll, digress, wander, slip, freewheel, blow, tramp, mistake, vagabond, float

10. roll, wander, swan, stray, tramp, roam, cast, ramble, rove, range, drift, vagabond(verb)

    move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

    "The gypsies roamed the woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town"

    Synonyms:
    roam, project, hustle, wrap, verify, spue, redact, affirm, draw, cast off, wave, array, assert, wander, cheat on, mold, float, cast, put, twine, slog, turn over, avow, cheat, throw away, frame, place, roll up, seethe, pasture, crop, vomit up, browse, chuck, mould, roll, throw up, contrive, retch, purge, rate, betray, tramp, disgorge, swear, plod, meander, flap, blow, lay out, pad, shed, wheel, shake off, barf, graze, weave, stray, wind, range, vagabond, swan, rank, grade, couch, thread, pluck, freewheel, rove, be adrift, ramble, regurgitate, cuckold, throw off, straddle, throw, cat, vomit, ramble on, revolve, order, hurtle, spew, honk, roll out, regorge, drop, set out, aver, run, jog, hurl, trudge, err, upchuck, footslog, be sick, undulate, digress, sick, divagate, puke

11. drift(verb)

    vary or move from a fixed point or course

    "stock prices are drifting higher"

    Synonyms:
    be adrift, cast, ramble, stray, tramp, float, roll, roam, range, err, rove, blow, vagabond, wander, swan, freewheel

12. freewheel, drift(verb)

    live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely

    "My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school"

    Synonyms:
    rove, range, stray, ramble, err, cast, roam, be adrift, swan, roll, wander, freewheel, blow, tramp, vagabond, float

13. drift(verb)

    move in an unhurried fashion

    "The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests"

    Synonyms:
    be adrift, cast, ramble, stray, tramp, float, roll, roam, range, err, rove, blow, vagabond, wander, swan, freewheel

14. drift(verb)

    cause to be carried by a current

    "drift the boats downstream"

    Synonyms:
    be adrift, cast, ramble, stray, tramp, float, roll, roam, range, err, rove, blow, vagabond, wander, swan, freewheel

15. drift(verb)

    drive slowly and far afield for grazing

    "drift the cattle herds westwards"

    Synonyms:
    be adrift, cast, ramble, stray, tramp, float, roll, roam, range, err, rove, blow, vagabond, wander, swan, freewheel

16. drift(verb)

    be subject to fluctuation

    "The stock market drifted upward"

    Synonyms:
    be adrift, cast, ramble, stray, tramp, float, roll, roam, range, err, rove, blow, vagabond, wander, swan, freewheel

17. drift(verb)

    be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current

    "snow drifting several feet high"; "sand drifting like snow"

    Synonyms:
    be adrift, cast, ramble, stray, tramp, float, roll, roam, range, err, rove, blow, vagabond, wander, swan, freewheel

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. drift

   Synonyms:
   tendency, direction, motion, tenor, meaning, purport, object, intention, purpose, scope, aim, result, issue, interence, conclusion, end, course

   Antonyms:
   aimlessness, pointlessness, vagueness, unmeaningness, indefiniteness, confusedness, aberrancy

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. drift(n.)

   Synonyms:
   course, bearing, direction

2. drift(n.)

   Synonyms:
   aim, purpose, intention, intent, proposal, design, scope, tendency, object, mark

3. drift(n.)

   Synonyms:
   (Geol.) diluvium, diluvial formations

4. drift(n.)

   Synonyms:
   (Mining.) passage (under ground, between shafts)

5. drift(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   drive into heaps

6. drift(v. n.)

   Synonyms:
   float, be wafted

7. drift(v. n.)

   Synonyms:
   accumulate in heaps, be driven into heaps

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. drift(n)

   Synonyms:
   course, direction, bearing, tendency, aim, intention intent, design, import, meaning, accumulation, heap, bank, pile, diluvium

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. List of paraphrases:

   drifting, adrift, punch, coaster, derive, leeway, deviation, tendency

How to pronounce drift?

Alex

US English

Daniel

British

Karen

Australian

Veena

Indian

How to say drift in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use drift in a sentence?

1. Nick Twidale:

   Investors are continuing to look for clarity on the trade situation between the United States and China and as the trading days drift by with no concrete update on progress then markets become more and more concerned, probably more pressing for the U.S. markets is the threat of another government shutdown.

2. Alan Gayle:

   Gradualism for rate increases is a soothing message for the market, september remains on the table, but the downward drift in the forecasts for next year means the increases will happen gradually, and that's a relief for investors.

3. Winston Churchill:

   So they the Government go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be impotent.

4. Darren Chester:

   That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling ... and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean.

5. Emeasoba George:

   THOSE WHO CANNOT ENDURE WHAT GOD IS TAKING THEM THROUGH ARE NOT FIT TO ENTER WHERE GOD IS TAKING THEM TO. WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY? I AM JUST TRYING TO SAY THAT YOUR SO SEEMED FAILURES, MISFORTUNES, DISAPPOINTMENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU? COULD BE WHAT GOD IS USING TO EQUIP YOU FOR THE TASK AHEAD OF YOU. AND WHEREBY YOU FAIL TO SCALE THROUGH THEM VICTORIOUSLY. IT IS OBVIOUS YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO BE WHERE GOD WANTS YOU TO BE EVENTUALLY. THAT IS TO SAY, HE (GOD) OFTEN USES WHAT WE DO NOT WANT TO GIVE US WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED. THAT IS JUST MY DRIFT AND I HOPE YOU GOT IT.-Emeasoba George

Images & Illustrations of drift