English · Word Candidate

drift

/dɹɪft/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: drifts · drifting · drifted

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Movement; that which moves or is moved. — Anything driven at random.

Noun

Examples

Some log perhaps upon the waters swam, a useless drift.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Movement; that which moves or is moved. — A mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc., especially by wind or water.

Noun

Examples

a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, of plants, etc.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc.

Verb

Examples

The boat drifted away from the shore.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To move haphazardly without any destination.

Verb

Examples

He drifted from town to town, never settling down.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “drift” mean?

Movement; that which moves or is moved. — Anything driven at random.

Is “drift” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.