DRIFT Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'drift' different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of drift are current , tendency , tenor , and trend . While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse. // the drift of the population away from large cities // got the drift of her argument

Q: When could 'current' be used to replace 'drift'?

The words current and drift can be used in similar contexts, but current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course. // an encounter that changed the current of my life

Q: When would 'tendency' be a good substitute for 'drift'?

The words tendency and drift are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force. // a general tendency toward inflation

Q: Where would 'tenor' be a reasonable alternative to 'drift'?

Although the words tenor and drift have much in common, tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course. // the tenor of the times

Q: When can 'trend' be used instead of 'drift'?

The synonyms trend and drift are sometimes interchangeable, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course. // the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

drift 1 of 2

verb

Definition of drift

as in to flow

to move or proceed smoothly and readily casual conversation drifting from one topic to another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to hover

to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air the boat drifted along on the current

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to wander

to move about from place to place aimlessly spent several years drifting from town to town, picking up odd jobs whenever he needed cash

Synonyms & Similar Words

drift

2 of 2

noun

ˈdrift

as in mound

a pile or ridge of granular matter (as sand or snow) deep drifts of snow blocked our driveway

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in tide

a prevailing or general movement or inclination the steady drift of the population away from large cities

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in sense

the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action you should expect a visit from the stork, if you get my drift

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word drift different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of drift are current, tendency, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

the drift of the population away from large cities

got the drift of her argument

When could current be used to replace drift?

The words current and drift can be used in similar contexts, but current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

When would tendency be a good substitute for drift?

The words tendency and drift are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

Where would tenor be a reasonable alternative to drift?

Although the words tenor and drift have much in common, tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

When can trend be used instead of drift?

The synonyms trend and drift are sometimes interchangeable, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drift

Verb

The Athletic is distributing more than sports gossip By the end of the segment, the conversation had drifted well beyond Cunningham. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Canada has been battling a series of major summer wildfires, with smoke drifting into parts of the northeastern and midwestern United States. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

Noun

State police said the trooper initiated a traffic stop after allegedly seeing the driver drift to the left and drive multiple times on a solid yellow line. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026 Most don’t associate cryptocurrency with rural states such as South Dakota, with its Great Plains and drift prairies. — K.h. Koehler, Ascend Agency, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drift

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drift

Verb

Some more images show Kidman, Bullock, 62, King, 26, and Williams, 29, wearing flowing gowns while hooked onto wires, seemingly filming a scene that involves flying, in front of a blue screen.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Exports flowing from Saudi ports have blunted some of the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure.

— Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of flow

Verb

For the observer hovering above one of these boundaries, Kuridze says, the view would depend on the time of arrival.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
While the rain is expected to mostly subside by Saturday, temperatures will hover near the 90s through Sunday and into next week.

— Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of hover

Verb

Go skiing in Gudauri, trek through Tusheti, or wander in the ancient cave cities of Vardzia and Uplistsikhe.

— Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
Kelcee Smith There’s something almost magical about wandering through the collections of a natural history museum.

— Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of wander

Noun

After a discussion, the umpires announced that Schultz would have to exit because of the second mound visit of the inning.

— LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
New York Mets rookie Jefry Yan jumped high in the air with his feet spread apart, landed on the front of the mound and then slapped the grass with his left hand while briefly going to a knee.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of mound

Noun

What’s crucially lacking here is a particularly compelling sense of Reagan and Gorbachev as human characters.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
People think of intimacy in a romantic sense, but the relationships artists have with the people in their corner in the industry is also really intimate.

— Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of sense

Verb

Video from his dash camera shows the aircraft gliding under a highway sign, missing it by mere feet, before touching down in the empty lanes.

— Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
The countless repetitions give you the most beautiful art form where swans glide, fairies dance and every year a giant nutcracker appears.

— Chrissie Leong, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of glide

Verb

The custom floating hot tub can seat up to six people and moves at a cool 3 miles per hour through the calm waters north of Logan Airport.

— Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
In that test, the first-stage booster returned to a floating platform about six minutes after ⁠the separation of its first and upper stage, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of float

Browse Nearby Words

dries up

drift

drifted

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drift. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of drift

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on drift

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

salvo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes