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Synonyms for drift

noun

  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.

verb

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.

See drift in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II

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