drift synonyms

drift

n.

  1. A tendency in movement

    bent, tenor, trend, tendency, end, effort, inclination, course, impulse, impetus, propulsion, aim, scope, tone, goal, push, bias, set, gravity, leaning, progress, conduct, propensity, disposition, bearing, proneness, line, tack, set, spirit; see also direction 1, route 1.

    Antonyms indifference*, aimlessness, inertia. *

  2. The measure or character of movement

    deviation, wash, aberration, motion, leeway, flux, flow, current, stream, diversion, digression, swerving, sweep, warp, departure; see also flow.

  3. General meaning

    tenor, purport, intention, object; see meaning.

  4. Something blown

    bank, mass, pile, snowdrift; see heap.

  5. A tunnel following a vein of ore

    adit, underground passage, subway; see tunnel. See syn. study at tendency.

drift

v.

float, ride, sail, cruise, coast, waft, wander aimlessly, wander at random, move with the current, gravitate, tend, be carried along, go with the tide, be caught in the current, wanderer, roam, rove, stray, go with the flow*, bum around*; see also flow 1, roam.

Antonyms steer*, push*, pull.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.