drift
drift — verb
1. to move slowly in a direction that cannot be controlled, usually because of wind
to move slowly in a direction that cannot be controlled, usually because of wind, water, or a current — like a boat moving without its engine, or smoke spreading through the air
The small fishing boat drifted towards the rocks after its engine stopped working.
drift + towards [destination]
Smoke from the campfire drifted across the field and into the trees.
drift + across [area]
A white cloud drifted slowly in front of the moon on a cold winter night.
Shirin watched her paper boat drift away from the edge of the pond.
文法句型
drift + prepositional phrase (direction)
drift + adverb
用法筆記
Subject is usually a physical object or substance (boat, cloud, smoke, leaf). The direction is always specified or implied through a prepositional phrase or adverb.
常見錯誤
2. a driving technique in which a car slides sideways through a bend on purpose, wi
a driving technique in which a car slides sideways through a bend on purpose, with the driver keeping full control even though the rear tyres have lost their grip on the road
Takeshi drifted around the sharp corner at over 110 kilometres per hour.
drift + around [corner/bend]
The young driver learned to drift by practising on empty mountain roads.
Ayana drifted past two cars on the last bend and won the race.
Nellie watched drifting tutorials online before trying the technique herself.
- powerslide
a similar technique using more engine power to break traction
- skid
uncontrolled sliding, not a deliberate technique
文法句型
drift + adverb of manner
drift + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
This sense belongs to motorsport vocabulary. Subject is always a driver or vehicle. The purpose is either competitive (racing) or stylistic (show).
常見錯誤
3. when snow, sand, or similar material is blown into a large heap by the wind; or
when snow, sand, or similar material is blown into a large heap by the wind; or for the wind to pile such material up in a particular place
Snow had drifted against the front door, so the family could not get out.
drift + against [structure]
The strong wind drifted the sand into tall dunes along the coastline.
passive: wind drifted [material] into [shape]
Dead leaves drifted into large piles under the garden wall after the storm.
Lucas woke up to find snow had drifted through a gap in the old wooden roof.
文法句型
be drifted + prepositional phrase
drift + prepositional phrase (intransitive)
用法筆記
When used transitively, the subject is the wind or water, and the object is the material being piled. The intransitive use describes the material piling up on its own. Frequently found in weather reports and nature descriptions.
常見錯誤
drift — noun
1. the main idea or general meaning of what someone is saying or writing, without t
the main idea or general meaning of what someone is saying or writing, without the specific details
I could not follow every word of her speech, but I understood the general drift of it.
the drift of [speech/argument]
The main drift of the article is that social media affects young people's mental health.
the main drift of [text]
Justin listened carefully to catch the drift of what the manager was trying to explain.
The general drift of their conversation suggested they were planning a surprise party.
文法句型
the drift of [speech/argument/conversation]
用法筆記
Always used with a determiner (the, a) or possessive. Frequently appears in the fixed expressions 'the drift of something', 'catch/get the drift', and 'the general drift'. Not used in the plural.
常見錯誤
2. the use of 'drift' in the common phrases 'get the drift' and 'catch the drift',
the use of 'drift' in the common phrases 'get the drift' and 'catch the drift', describing how a person understands the essential message of a spoken explanation without requiring every single point
Talia did not need to hear the rest — she had already got the drift.
get the drift
Heather explained the new rules quickly, and Lucas caught the drift straight away.
catch the drift
When I saw his expression, I got the drift and stopped asking questions.
The teacher talked for twenty minutes, and the students caught the drift after the first few sentences.
- catch on
informal phrasal verb meaning to start understanding
- understand
more general, not specific to grasping an implied meaning
文法句型
get the drift
catch the drift
用法筆記
Nearly always used in perfect tenses: 'have/has/had got the drift' or 'have/has/had caught the drift'. The speaker assumes shared understanding — the listener can fill in the missing parts. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is the gist itself; this sense is the act of understanding that gist.
常見錯誤
3. a conversational expression used at the end of a statement to indicate that the
a conversational expression used at the end of a statement to indicate that the speaker has left out some information or explanation but expects the listener to understand the general idea anyway
The job involves long hours and difficult customers — but you get the drift.
you get the drift [rhetorical]
Her speech covered budget problems, staff shortages, and new rules — you get the drift.
The wedding had a burnt cake, missing chairs, and a rainy ceremony — you get the drift.
The hotel had broken lifts, dirty sheets, and cold food — you get the drift.
- you know what I mean
more general filler phrase, less specific to omitted details
- you can imagine the rest
more explicit, less idiomatic
文法句型
[statement] ... you get the drift
用法筆記
Used as a rhetorical closing device after listing examples. The speaker is saying 'I could say more, but you already understand the pattern.' The phrase is fixed — variations like 'you catch the drift' are much less common. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 is about the listener actively working out the meaning; this sense is a conversational signal from the speaker.
常見錯誤
4. an amount of snow, sand, leaves, or other light material that the wind has colle
an amount of snow, sand, leaves, or other light material that the wind has collected into a heap
The car got stuck in a deep snowdrift on the road through the mountains.
snowdrift (compound noun)
After the blizzard, huge drifts of snow blocked the entrance to the village.
drifts of [snow/sand]
Renata found the garden gate completely hidden behind a drift of fallen leaves.
Deep sand drifts made the desert road impossible for ordinary cars to cross.
文法句型
drift of [snow/sand/leaves]
a [material] drift
用法筆記
Most commonly used with 'snow' (snowdrift). When the material is sand, it may refer to desert dunes or beach accumulations. The compound form 'snowdrift' is very common and can be treated as a separate word.
5. a slow and steady change or development in a situation, opinion, or pattern of b
a slow and steady change or development in a situation, opinion, or pattern of behaviour over a period of time
There has been a steady drift of people moving away from big cities towards smaller towns.
drift of people from [place] to [place]
The general drift of public opinion has shifted towards supporting renewable energy.
the drift of opinion/attitude
Sociologists have noticed a gradual drift away from traditional family structures in modern societies.
The country has seen a worrying drift towards extreme political views in recent elections.
文法句型
drift of [people/opinion] from [origin] to [destination]
drift towards [trend]
用法筆記
Often paired with directional prepositions: 'drift towards', 'drift away from', 'drift from... to...'. The change is always gradual and often seen as natural or inevitable rather than planned. Common in academic, political, and sociological writing.
常見錯誤
6. a driving technique used in car racing where the driver makes the rear wheels lo
a driving technique used in car racing where the driver makes the rear wheels lose their grip on the road and slides sideways around a corner while still controlling the vehicle
Drift has become a popular driving style thanks to Japanese street racing culture.
The racer entered the corner in a perfect drift, with clouds of smoke from the rear tyres.
in a drift
Élise spent months practising drift control before entering her first competition.
The championship final featured some of the best drift driving the crowd had ever seen.
- powerslide
a similar technique using more engine power to break traction
文法句型
[do] a drift
in a drift
用法筆記
As an uncountable noun it refers to the technique or sport in general. As a countable noun ('a drift', 'a perfect drift') it describes a single instance or performance of the manoeuvre. Often capitalised in the context of the sport 'Drifting' as a competitive discipline.