drive at
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
To mean, signify; to get at, to aim or tend to a point.
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see drive, at.
Sử dụng ngoài nghĩa ẩn dụ hoặc thành ngữ: xem drive, at
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
to aim at; "what is he DRIVING AT?" "what does he intend to imply?" a phrase often used when a circuitous line of argument is adopted by a barrister, or a strange set of questions asked, the purport of which is not very evident.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “drive at” mean?
To mean, signify; to get at, to aim or tend to a point.
Is “drive at” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.