1. To move slowly under an external force or without deliberate control.
2. To move gradually toward a different condition or activity without firm intention.
3. The main point or overall direction of what is said or happening.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- drift downstream
- drift apart
On the page
The abandoned boat drifted beyond the last marker.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- drift
- Past tense
- drifted
- Past participle
- drifted
- Present participle
- drifting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- drift
- Present continuous
- am/is/are drifting
- Present perfect
- have/has drifted
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been drifting
- Past
- drifted
- Past continuous
- was/were drifting
- Past perfect
- had drifted
- Past perfect continuous
- had been drifting
- Future
- will drift
- Future continuous
- will be drifting
- Future perfect
- will have drifted
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been drifting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: drift; drifts; drifted; drifted; drifting. Noun use is uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: drifts.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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