drift

drift¹ [drıft] v

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1¦(move slowly)¦

2¦(without plan)¦

3¦(change)¦

4¦(money/prices)¦

5¦(snow/sand)¦

6 let something drift

Phrasal verbs

　drift apart

　drift off

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1.) ¦(MOVE SLOWLY)¦

to move slowly on water or in the air

drift out/towards etc

▪ The rubber raft drifted out to sea.

▪ Smoke drifted up from the jungle ahead of us.

2.) ¦(WITHOUT PLAN)¦

to move, change, or do something without any plan or purpose

drift around/along etc

▪ Jenni spent the year drifting around Europe.

drift into

▪ I just drifted into teaching, really.

drift away

▪ The others drifted away. Melanie stayed.

drift from sth to sth

▪ The conversation drifted from one topic to another.

let your gaze/eyes/thoughts/mind etc drift

▪ Idly she let her eyes drift over his desk.

3.) ¦(CHANGE)¦

to gradually change from being in one condition, situation etc into another without realizing it

drift into

▪ She was just drifting into sleep when the alarm went off.

▪ He drifted in and out of consciousness .

4.) ¦(MONEY/PRICES)¦

if values, prices, ↑shares etc drift, they gradually change

▪ The dollar drifted lower against the yen today.

5.) ¦(SNOW/SAND)¦

if snow, sand etc drifts, the wind blows it into large piles

6.) let sth drift

to allow something, especially something bad, to continue in the same way

▪ He couldn't let the matter drift for much longer.

drift apart [i]phr v

if people drift apart, their relationship gradually ends

▪ Over the years my college friends and I have drifted apart.

drift off phr v

to gradually fall asleep

▪ I was just drifting off when the phone rang.

▪ He felt himself drifting off to sleep .

drift ²

drift² n

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1¦(snow/sand)¦

2¦(change)¦

3¦(movement of people)¦

4 the drift (of something)

5¦(ships/planes)¦

6¦(slow movement)¦

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[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Probably from Old Norse drift 'pile of wind-blown snow'; related to drive]

1.) ¦(SNOW/SAND)¦

a large pile of snow or sand that has been blown by the wind

drift of

▪ The road is blocked with massive drifts of snow.

▪ a snow drift

2.) ¦(CHANGE)¦ [singular]

a slow change or development from one situation, opinion etc to another

drift towards/to

▪ a drift towards longer working hours

3.) ¦(MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE)¦ [singular, U]

a slow movement of large numbers of people that has not been planned

drift from/to/into

▪ the drift from the countryside to the cities

4.) the drift (of sth)

the general meaning of what someone is saying

▪ So what's the drift of the argument?

follow/get/catch sb's drift

(=understand the general meaning of what someone is saying)

▪ She didn't quite get my drift, did she?

5.) ¦(SHIPS/PLANES)¦[U]

the movement of a ship or plane from its original direction because of the movement of the wind or water

6.) ¦(SLOW MOVEMENT)¦[U]

very slow movement, especially over water or through the air