drifting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of driftingnext
1
as in ranging

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hovering

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drifting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of drift
1
as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily casual conversation drifting from one topic to another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in floating
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air the boat drifted along on the current

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wandering
to move about from place to place aimlessly spent several years drifting from town to town, picking up odd jobs whenever he needed cash

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifting
  1. hovering
  2. wandering
  3. gliding
  4. floating
  5. roaming
  6. rambling
  7. hanging
  8. cruising
Verb
  • Gone are the days when connecting with others meant hovering awkwardly around a plate of sweating cheese cubes, or trying to fit your whole name on a too-small name tag.
    Aytekin Tank, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Countless people have reported mysterious hovering objects dotting the night skies and posted blurred images — a white light, a black background — on social media.
    Michael Wilson, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • Spend your days absorbing its wartime history, wandering the outdoor markets, dining on seafood, rejuvenating at a spa, or hiking secluded coastal trails before lolling on the white-sand beaches.
    Peggy Orenstein, AFAR Media, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Claire understands where Rachel’s mind is wandering and follows her train of thought.
    Lincee Ray, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Definition of wandering
Verb
  • The area is bustling with locals and tourists strolling the waterfront, shopping, dining, and snapping photos of cruise ships gliding in and out of the area.
    Tomeka Jones, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2024
  • The production pushes his performance even further, as director Browning follows Dracula’s gliding, subtly batlike gait and lights his bulging stare to make the whites of his eyes gleam.
    Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
Definition of gliding
Verb
  • With countless feats of jaw-dropping acrobatics including aerial acts swinging from chandeliers and floating over the audience, Corteo’s mesmerising stunts will wow audiences once again.
    Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Finally, skin is soothed with a soft, pink Qatari clay, which softens and gently scents the skin, and infuses the senses, leaving you blissfully ‘floating’ on your way out.
    Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of floating
Verb
  • According to Smithsonian, the institute’s idyllic backdrop, with open fields where patients could imagine animals roaming free, helped convince the doctor's dozens of patients that her practices were legit.
    Sean Neumann, People.com, 5 Jan. 2025
  • Between 2001 and 2004, there were so many shootings in Vancouver-area clubs that gang police started roaming through bars, throwing out anyone who looked like a drug dealer.
    Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2025
Definition of roaming
Adjective
  • In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.
    Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
  • His statement came a day after the release of the Netflix series, which takes viewers back to the morning after Christmas 28 years ago, when JonBenét’s mother called 911 to report finding a rambling ransom note and her daughter missing.
    Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • The neutral material keeps it from looking like an eye sore and can be expanded for more hanging space as needed.
    Micaela Arnett, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024
  • This playful hanging figure will give your trick-or-treaters and guests a laugh instead of a fright.
    Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2023
Definition of hanging
Verb
  • After ten days of cruising Antarctic waters, dodging icebergs, and spotting elephant seals, the cruise’s 140 passengers could toss their Dramamine, catch a plane from the gravel runway at Frei Station research base, and fly straight back to Chile.
    Blair Braverman, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The Celtics are cruising off of stellar chemistry and roster continuity.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of cruising
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near drifting

drifters

drifting

drifts

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“Drifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifting. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on drifting

Nglish: Translation of drifting for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of drifting for Arabic Speakers

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