drive

Meaning

Verb

1. (ergative, transitive) To operate a vehicle:
2. (intransitive) To operate a vehicle:
3. (transitive) To operate a vehicle:
4. (slang, transitive) To operate a vehicle:
5. (intransitive, transitive) To operate a vehicle:
6. (transitive) To compel to move:
7. (transitive) To compel to move:
8. (transitive) To cause to move by the application of physical force:
9. (transitive) To cause to move by the application of physical force:
10. (intransitive) To cause to move by the application of physical force:
11. (transitive) To cause to move by the application of physical force:
12. (transitive) To displace either physically or non-physically, through the application of force.
13. (transitive) To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
14. (transitive) To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
15. (transitive) To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
16. (transitive) To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
17. (transitive) To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
18. (transitive) To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
19. (intransitive) To move forcefully.
20. (intransitive) To be moved or propelled forcefully (especially of a ship).
21. (transitive) To carry or to keep in motion; to conduct; to prosecute.
22. (transitive) To clear, by forcing away what is contained.
23. To dig horizontally; to cut a horizontal gallery or tunnel.
24. To put together a drive (n.): to string together offensive plays and advance the ball down the field.
25. (obsolete) To distrain for rent.
26. To be the dominant party in a sex act.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Planned, usually long-lasting, effort to achieve something; ability coupled with ambition, determination, and motivation.
2. (countable, uncountable) Violent or rapid motion; a rushing onward or away; (especially) a forced or hurried dispatch of business.
3. (countable, uncountable) An act of driving (prompting) animals forward.
4. (countable, uncountable) An act of driving (prompting) animals forward.
5. (countable, uncountable) A sustained advance in the face of the enemy to take an objective.
6. (countable, uncountable) A mechanism used to power or give motion to a vehicle or other machine or machine part.
7. (countable, uncountable) A trip made in a vehicle (now generally in a motor vehicle).
8. (countable, uncountable) A driveway.
9. (countable, uncountable) A type of public roadway.
10. (countable, uncountable) The gear into which one usually shifts an automatic transmission when one is driving a car or truck. (Denoted with symbol D on a shifter's labeling.)
11. (countable, dated, uncountable) A place suitable or agreeable for driving; a road prepared for driving.
12. (countable, uncountable) Desire or interest.
13. (countable, uncountable) An apparatus for reading and writing data to or from a mass storage device such as a disk.
14. (countable, uncountable) A mass storage device in which the mechanism for reading and writing data is integrated with the mechanism for storing data.
15. (countable, uncountable) A stroke made with a driver.
16. (countable, uncountable) A ball struck in a flat trajectory.
17. (countable, uncountable) A type of shot played by swinging the bat in a vertical arc, through the line of the ball, and hitting it along the ground, normally between cover and midwicket.
18. (countable, uncountable) A straight level shot or pass.
19. (countable, uncountable) An offensive possession, generally one consisting of several plays and/ or first downs, often leading to a scoring opportunity.
20. (countable, uncountable) A charity event such as a fundraiser, bake sale, or toy drive.
21. (countable, uncountable) A campaign aimed at selling more of a certain product or promoting a public service.
22. (countable, uncountable) An impression or matrix formed by a punch drift.
23. (countable, uncountable) A collection of objects that are driven; a mass of logs to be floated down a river.
24. (UK, countable, slang, uncountable) Friendly term of address for a bus driver.

Opposite of

inertia, lack of motivation, laziness, phlegm, sloth

Synonyms

ride

steer

propel

lead

push

impel

force

chase

urge

conduct

guide

pilot

🧑‍✈️

thrust

go

drive on

chase away

actuate

take

run

expel

impulse

press

campaign

shoo

compel

motor

pursue

move

driving

travel

operate

shove

impetus

motivation

direct

herd

carry

bring

transport

fly

✈️

vigor

advance

driveway

walk

🚶

movement

hustle

convey

spirit

drive away

sail

Translations

conduire

conducir

guidare

treiben

fahren

aller

condurre

pousser

manejar

antreiben

οδηγώ

conduzir

conduir

drijven

führen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɹaɪv/

Etymology

Cognate with Scots: drive

Cognate with Northern Frisian: driwe

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: drieuwe

Cognate with Western Frisian: driuwe

Cognate with Dutch: drijven

Cognate with Low German: drieven

Cognate with German: treiben

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: drive

Cognate with Danish: drive

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: driva

Cognate with Swedish: driva

Cognate with Icelandic: drífa

In summary

From Middle English driven, from Old English drīfan (“to drive, force, move”), from Proto-West Germanic *drīban, from Proto-Germanic *drībaną (“to drive”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- (“to drive, push”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots drive (“to drive”), Yola dhreeve, dhrive, dreeve, drieve, drive (“to drive”), North Frisian driiv, driiw, driwe (“to drive”), West Frisian driuwe (“to drive; to float”), Alemannic German triibe (“to drive”), Dutch drijven (“to drive, push”), German treiben (“to drive, push, propel”), Low German drieven (“to drive, drift, push”), Luxembourgish dreiwen (“to drive, propel”), Yiddish טרײַבן (traybn, “to drive”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål drive (“to drive, propel”), Icelandic drífa (“to drive”), Norwegian Nynorsk driva, drive (“to drive, move; to propel; to run”), Swedish driva (“to drive, compel; to drift; to run”), Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 (dreiban, “to drive”).

Sentences

Hold the hammer near the end to drive the nail .

Union member drive under way at Foster Farms plant .

He must know how to make rain and drive away the locusts .

The cold drizzle will halt the bond drive .

Rumors of his parents' infidelities drive him to nearly kill a local gossip .