: one that drifts
especially
: one that travels or moves about aimlessly
Examples of drifter in a Sentence
He was a drifter who hitchhiked from state to state.
the drifter just packed up and moved on to the next dead-end job
Recent Examples on the Web
As Carol continues her search for Daryl stateside, the scraggly drifter finds himself on the wrong side of French autocrats while protecting a young boy (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) and a nun (Clémence Poésy), who are trying to flee a religious cult that believes the young man is their messiah.
—
Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
The resulting study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, showed young turtles are active swimmers during their early lives rather than passive drifters.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Ali and Rıza are not doubles, but there is a sense that this strange drifter fills a lack that the anxious academic feels.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
The drifter also revealed how their first child, Lincoln Whiddett, was with the family throughout their journey, providing extra motivation.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drifter
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Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
The resulting study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, showed young turtles are active swimmers during their early lives rather than passive drifters.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Ali and Rıza are not doubles, but there is a sense that this strange drifter fills a lack that the anxious academic feels.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
The drifter also revealed how their first child, Lincoln Whiddett, was with the family throughout their journey, providing extra motivation.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drifter
Cite this Entry
“Drifter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drifter. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drifter
noun
drift·er
ˈdrif-tər 
: one that drifts
especially
: a person who travels about without purpose
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