English · Word Candidate

drifting

/ˈdɹɪftɪŋ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: driftings

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Moving aimlessly or at the mercy of external forces.

Adjective

Examples

The drifting seaweed went wherever the currents carried it.

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

Without direction, focus, or goal.

Adjective

Examples

[Lionel] Johnson was stern by nature, strong by intellect, and always, I think, deliberately picked his company, but [Ernest] Dowson seemed gentle, affectionate, drifting.

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

The act by which something drifts.

Noun

Examples

True, there had been some heavy falls of snow and some of the roads had become blocked, while north of Inverness there was drifting that held up traffic here and there, but things were no worse than are expected in January.

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

That which drifts.

Noun

Examples

[W]ith hollow eyes / Many all day in dazzling river stood, / To take the rich-ored driftings of the flood.

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 “drifting” mean?

Moving aimlessly or at the mercy of external forces.

Is “drifting” formal or informal?

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