Pronunciation: /drɪft/

Definitions of drift

noun a continuous slow movement from one place to another

Example Sentences

A1 The boat slowly drifted along the calm river.

A2 The drift of the conversation turned towards politics.

B1 The company is experiencing a drift in sales due to the economic downturn.

B2 The drift of the glacier was caused by global warming.

C1 The drift of the magnetic field can have significant implications for navigation systems.

C2 The drift in public opinion towards renewable energy is becoming more evident.

verb to be carried slowly by a current of air or water

Example Sentences

A1 The boat began to drift aimlessly in the calm waters.

A2 The clouds drifted lazily across the sky on a sunny afternoon.

B1 She let her thoughts drift as she stared out the window during the boring meeting.

B2 The conversation drifted from topic to topic as the group relaxed around the campfire.

C1 The company's focus started to drift away from innovation towards profit margins.

C2 His mind would often drift to memories of his childhood as he grew older.

Examples of drift in a Sentence

formal The boat began to drift aimlessly in the open sea.

informal I love watching the clouds drift by on a lazy afternoon.

slang Let's drift over to the park and hang out for a bit.

figurative Her mind started to drift away from the conversation as she daydreamed.

Grammatical Forms of drift

past tense

drifted

plural

drifts

comparative

more drift

superlative

most drift

present tense

drift

future tense

will drift

perfect tense

have drifted

continuous tense

is drifting

singular

drift

positive degree

drift

infinitive

to drift

gerund

drifting

participle

drifted

Origin and Evolution of drift

First Known Use: 0013 year
Language of Origin: Old Norse
Story behind the word: The word 'drift' originated from the Old Norse word 'drift', which meant 'snowdrift or mass of drifted snow'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'drift' expanded its meaning to refer to the motion of something being carried along by a current of air or water, as well as the gradual accumulation of something, such as snow or sand. It has also come to be used metaphorically to describe the tendency of something to move in a particular direction or to be influenced by external forces.