drive
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drive
- /dɹaɪv/ Canada, US, UK
- [d̠ɹ̠ ̝(ʷ)aɪv] Canada, US, UK
- [d͡ʒɹaɪv] Canada, US, UK
- /dɹɑev/ Australia
- [dɹɑe̯v] New Zealand
Rhymes with -aɪv
Where it comes from
From Middle English dryven, 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”).
verb drives · driving · drove · drave · driv · driven
-
To operate (a wheeled motorized vehicle).
The bridges weren't strong enough to drive (campers) over.
Similar: ride
-
To travel by operating a wheeled motorized vehicle.
I drive to work every day.
Similar: motorvate
-
To convey (a person, etc.) in a wheeled motorized vehicle.
My cousin drove me to the airport.
Similar: take
- To operate (an aircraft); to pilot. drive a 737
- To direct a vehicle powered by a horse, ox or similar animal. There is a litter ready; lay him in’t And drive towards Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet Both welcome and protection.
- (especially of animals) To impel or urge onward by force; to push forward; to compel to move on. to drive twenty thousand head of cattle from Texas to the Kansas railheads; to drive sheep out of a field
- (especially animals) To cause to flee out of. The hunting dog drove the birds out of the tall grass.
- To provide an impetus for motion or other physical change, to move an object by means of the provision of force thereto. You drive nails into wood with any hammer; it's not as strenuous as driving a tunnel through the rock.
- To cause (a mechanism) to operate. The pistons drive the crankshaft.
- To hit the ball with a drive.
- To separate the lighter (feathers or down) from the heavier, by exposing them to a current of air.
- To displace either physically or non-physically, through the application of force. One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail; Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail.
- To provide an impetus for a change in one's situation or state of mind. My husband's constant harping about the condition of the house threatens to drive me to distraction.
-
To motivate; to provide an incentive for.
What drives a person to run a marathon?
Similar: impel, incentivise, incentivize, push, urge, abet, actuate, goose, fuel, light a fire under, send, sting
- To compel, exert pressure, coerce (to do something). Their debts finally drove them to sell the business.
- To cause to become. This constant complaining is going to drive me insane.
-
To motivate through the application or demonstration of force; to impel or urge onward in such a way.
Frothing at the mouth and threatening expulsion, Coach relentlessly drove the team to more laps of the pitch.
Similar: coerce, intimidate, threaten, buffalo, bulldoze, bully, browbeat, cow, dastardize, daunt, dishearten, do down
- To urge, press, or bring to a point or state. The negotiations were driven to completion minutes before the final deadline.
- To move forcefully. […] Unequal match’d, Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage strikes wide;
- To be moved or propelled forcefully (especially of a ship). […] as a duck for life that dives, So up and down the poor ship drives:
- To carry or to keep in motion; to conduct; to prosecute. You know the Trade of Life can’t be driven without Partners; there is a reciprocal Dependance between the Greatest and the Least.
- To clear, by forcing away what is contained. We come not with design of wastful Prey, To drive the Country, force the Swains away:
-
To dig horizontally; to cut a horizontal gallery or tunnel.
1852-1866, Charles Tomlinson, Cyclopaedia of Useful Arts and Manufactures
If the miners find no ore, they drive or cut a gallery from the pit a short distance at right angles to the direction of the lodes found
Similar: tunnel
- To put together a drive (n.): to string together offensive plays and advance the ball down the field.
- To distrain for rent.
-
To be the dominant party in a sex act.
Similar: dominate
noun drives · Dr.
-
Planned, usually long-lasting, effort to achieve something; ability coupled with ambition, determination, and motivation.
Crassus had wealth and wit, but Pompey had drive and Caesar as much again.
Similar: ambition, grit, push, verve, motivation, get-up-and-go, self-motivation · Opposite: inertia, lack of motivation, laziness, phlegm, sloth
- Violent or rapid motion; a rushing onward or away; (especially) a forced or hurried dispatch of business. The Murdstonian drive in business.
- An act of driving game animals forward, to be captured or hunted. Are you all ready?’ he cried, and set off towards the dead ash where the drive would begin.
- An act of driving livestock animals forward, to transport a herd.
- A sustained advance in the face of the enemy to take an objective. Napoleon's drive on Moscow was as determined as it was disastrous.
- A mechanism used to power or give motion to a vehicle or other machine or machine part. steam drive, nuclear drive, chain drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive
- The location of the steering wheel used to control a vehicle. left-hand drive, right-hand drive
- 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.) Normally you should be in drive, although you can select a lower gear such as 2 or 1 for certain conditions, such as prolonged downhill stretches.
- An act of piloting or riding within a vehicle (now generally in a motor vehicle). The drive this morning was awful due to snow and ice.
- A trip made in a vehicle (now generally in a motor vehicle). It was a long drive to Santa Fe.
- The act of driving a car with no destination in mind, generally to see the scenery, be alone with one's thoughts or to spend time with a partner. We like to go for a drive on Sunday afternoons.
- A place suitable or agreeable for driving; a road prepared for driving.
- A driveway. The mansion had a long, tree-lined drive.
- A type of public roadway. Beverly Hills’ most famous street is Rodeo Drive.
- Desire or interest. 1995 March 2, John Carman, "Believe It, You Saw It in Sweeps", SFGate http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Believe-It-You-Saw-It-In-Sweeps-3043091.php On the latter show, former Playboy Playmate Carrie Westcott said she'd never met a man who could match her sexual drive.
-
An apparatus for reading and writing data to or from a mass storage device such as a disk.
Similar: disk drive
- A mass storage device in which the mechanism for reading and writing data is integrated with the mechanism for storing data.
- The state of being under pressure, stressed and hurried. I suffered under the intense drive of my new job.
- A stroke made with a driver.
- A ball struck in a flat trajectory. a long drive
- 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.
- A straight level shot or pass. And after Rodallega missed two early opportunities, the first a header, the second a low drive easily held by Lukasz Fabianski, it was N'Zogbia who created the opening goal.
- An offensive possession, generally one consisting of several plays and/ or first downs, often leading to a scoring opportunity.
- A charity event such as a fundraiser, bake sale, or toy drive. a fund-raising drive
- A campaign aimed at selling or promoting (something). vaccination drive
- An impression or matrix formed by a punch drift.
- A collection of objects that are driven.
- A mass of logs to be floated down a river or the act of moving them thusly.
- Friendly term of address for a bus driver. Yeah, thanks, drive! You boyz all goin' shoppin'? We are, drive, says Chip.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: force, effort, driving force, labour, get, push, cause, beat back, movement, pull, repulse, campaign, repel, run, tug, push back
Translations
Every language
verb to operate (a wheeled motorized vehicle)
| Español | conducir, manejar, timonear |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 운전하다 unjeonhada, 드라이브하다 deuraibeuhada, 몰다 molda |
| 日本語 | 運転する unten suru, 駆る karu, ドライブする doraibu suru |
| 中文 | 開車 /开车 kāichē, 駕駛 /驾驶 jiàshǐ, 駛 /驶 shǐ |
| हिन्दी | चलाना calānā |
| Kiswahili | kuendesha |
| Português | conduzir, dirigir |
| Français | conduire |
| Deutsch | fahren |
| Italiano | guidare, condurre |
| Ελληνικά | οδηγώ odigó |
| Română | conduce, ghida |
| Русский | вести́ vestí, води́ть vodítʹ, е́хать jéxatʹ, е́здить jézditʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | lái, lái xe |
| العربية | قَادَ qāda, سَاقَ sāqa |
| עברית | נהג nahág |
verb to travel by operating a motorized vehicle
| Español | conducir, manejar, ir en coche, ir en carro, ir en auto |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 開車 /开车 kāichē |
| हिन्दी | चलाना calānā |
| Français | conduire, aller, rouler |
| Deutsch | fahren |
| Italiano | condurre |
| Русский | е́хать jéxatʹ, е́здить jézditʹ |
| עברית | נהג nahág |
verb to convey (a person, etc) in a wheeled motorized vehicle
| Français | conduire |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | fahren, führen |
| Italiano | portare, scarrozzare |
| Русский | везти́ veztí, вози́ть vozítʹ |
| עברית | הסיע hisía |
verb to impel or urge (especially animals) onward by force; to push forward; to compel to move on
| Español | conducir, arrear |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 몰다 molda |
| 日本語 | 追う ou |
| 中文 | 驅趕 /驱赶 qūgǎn, 趕 /赶 gǎn |
| Português | tocar, tanger |
| Français | conduire, guider |
| Deutsch | antreiben, treiben |
| Italiano | condurre |
| Română | mâna |
| Русский | гнать gnatʹ, гоня́ть gonjátʹ |
| العربية | سَاقَ sāqa |
verb to cause animals to flee out of
| Português | espantar |
|---|---|
| Français | battre, chasser |
| Deutsch | forttreiben, treiben, vertreiben, wegtreiben |
| Русский | гнать gnatʹ, гоня́ть gonjátʹ |
verb to move (something) by hitting it with great force
| 日本語 | 打ち込む uchikomu |
|---|---|
| Português | impelir |
| Français | enfoncer |
| Deutsch | schlagen, einschlagen |
| Русский | забива́ть zabivátʹ, заби́ть zabítʹ |
| العربية | سَاقَ sāqa |
verb to cause (a mechanism) to operate
| 中文 | 驅動 /驱动 qūdòng |
|---|---|
| Português | operar |
| Français | emmener, entraîner |
| Deutsch | antreiben |
| Italiano | azionare |
| Русский | управля́ть upravljátʹ |
verb to motivate; to provide an incentive for
| Español | llevar, motivar |
|---|---|
| Português | levar |
| Français | pousser |
| Deutsch | antreiben, treiben |
| Italiano | motivare |
| Русский | сподвигать spodvigatʹ |
| עברית | הניע henía |
verb to cause to become
| Español | volver |
|---|---|
| Português | deixar |
| Français | rendre |
| Deutsch | treiben, machen |
| Italiano | rendere |
verb (intransitive) to move forcefully
| Italiano | spingere |
|---|
verb to be moved or propelled forcefully (especially of a ship)
| Italiano | trascinare, trainare |
|---|
noun motivation to do or achieve
| 日本語 | 気迫 kihaku |
|---|---|
| Português | ímpeto, impulso, determinação |
| Français | dynamisme, élan, volonté |
| Deutsch | Schwung, Elan, Drive, Tatkraft |
| Italiano | grinta, spinta, alacrità, risolutezza, determinazione, dinamismo |
| Русский | сти́мул stímul, напо́ристость napóristostʹ, драйв drajv, побужде́ние pobuždénije |
noun mechanism used to power a vehicle
| Español | dispositivo, motor, púlsar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Antrieb |
| Italiano | elemento propulsivo, ingranaggio, motore |
noun trip made in a motor vehicle
| Español | viaje de carro, viaje de coche, raite, raid (Mesoamerica), raiteada, vectación |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 드라이브 deuraibeu |
| 日本語 | ドライブ doraibu |
| Português | viagem/passeio (de carro/automóvel) |
| Français | voyage, virée |
| Deutsch | Fahrt |
| Italiano | viaggio |
| Русский | езда́ jezdá, пое́здка pojézdka |
noun driveway
| Português | entrada |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Auffahrt, Einfahrt, Zufahrt |
| Русский | прое́зд projézd, подъездна́я доро́га podʺjezdnája doróga |
noun psychology: desire or interest
| Español | pulsión |
|---|---|
| Português | desejo, vontade |
| Français | pulsion |
| Deutsch | Trieb |
| Italiano | impulso |
| Русский | побужде́ние pobuždénije, драйв drajv |
noun computing: apparatus for reading and writing to or from a storage device
| Español | lector |
|---|---|
| Português | unidade |
| Deutsch | Laufwerk |
| Italiano | lettore |
| Ελληνικά | οδηγός odigós |
| Română | unitate |
noun computing: mass-storage device
| Español | drive (draiv), disco |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 드라이브 deuraibeu |
| 日本語 | ドライブ doraibu |
| 中文 | 磁盤 /磁盘 cípán |
| Português | drive |
| Français | lecteur |
| Deutsch | Laufwerk |
| Italiano | disco |
| Ελληνικά | οδηγός odigós |
| Русский | накопи́тель nakopítelʹ, дисково́д diskovód, драйв drajv |
noun cricket: type of shot
| Русский | драйв drajv |
|---|
noun charity event
| Español | campaña benéfica, recolección benéfica |
|---|
Talk about this word "drive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/drive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. drive. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/drive "drive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/drive.
Cite this
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BibTeX
@misc{drive_2026,
title = {drive},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/drive},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
