English Reference

Word

drive

US/ˈdɹaɪv/

UK/dɹˈaɪv/

Forms

Infinitive

drive

Past

drove

Past participle

driven

Definitions

01to operate a vehicle

A1

v. to control and move a car, bus, or truck.

v. to operate and control the direction and speed of a motor vehicle.

“She learned to drive a car when she was seventeen years old.”

“He drives a heavy goods vehicle across the continent, often spending several consecutive days on the road.”

Pitfall

I am learning to drive a bicycle.

I am learning to ride a bicycle.

Use 'drive' for cars, buses, and trains, but use 'ride' for bicycles, motorcycles, and animals.

02to force or push

B1

v. to force someone or something to move in a certain direction.

v. to compel or urge something to move forward through physical force or social pressure.

“The strong winds drive the waves against the shore.”

“The shepherd used a trained dog to drive the flock toward the lower pastures before the storm arrived.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

03to make someone crazy or upset

B1

v. to cause someone to be in a specific state, usually an annoyed or crazy one.

v. to force someone into a particular state of mind or emotion, typically a negative one.

“That loud clicking noise is going to drive me crazy.”

“The constant interruptions from his colleagues began to drive him to the point of total frustration.”

Synonyms

04a trip in a car

A2

n. a journey you take by car.

n. an excursion or journey made in a motor vehicle.

“We went for a long drive in the countryside last Sunday.”

“The scenic drive along the coast took much longer than anticipated due to the winding roads and frequent photo stops.”

Synonyms

05ambition and energy

B2 · Psychology

n. the energy and determination to achieve something.

n. an internal motivation or psychological urge to attain a goal.

“She has the drive and talent to become a successful CEO.”

“The recruiters were looking for candidates who possessed both technical expertise and the personal drive to innovate under pressure.”

Antonyms

06a private road

B1

n. a short private road that leads from a street to a house.

n. a private road or path providing access from a public thoroughfare to a residence or building.

“You can park your car on the drive in front of the garage.”

“The gravel drive was lined with ancient oak trees that cast long shadows across the lawn in the evening.”

Synonyms

07an organized effort

B1

n. a planned effort by a group of people to achieve a goal, like collecting money.

n. an organized campaign or effort to achieve a specific objective, often charitable or commercial.

“The school is starting a food drive to help families in need.”

“The annual blood drive exceeded its targets thanks to a coordinated social media campaign and local volunteer support.”

08computing storage

A2 · Computing

n. a piece of equipment in a computer that reads or stores information.

n. a device used for the storage and retrieval of digital data.

“I saved all my photos onto an external hard drive.”

“The server's primary drive failed, but fortunately, the redundant backup system prevented any significant data loss.”

Synonyms

09sports hit

B2 · Sport

n. a hard, fast hit of a ball in sports like golf, tennis, or baseball.

n. a powerful stroke or hit that sends a ball on a straight or flat trajectory.

“His first drive went straight down the middle of the fairway.”

“The batsman played a magnificent cover drive, sending the ball racing toward the boundary for four runs.”

Synonyms

Etymology

From Middle English driven, 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”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Collocations

largely driveprimarily drive

Word family

Related words

Idioms

drive a coach and horses through — To spoil, break or render ineffective (a rule, plan or agreement).

drive a hard bargain — To negotiate forcefully.

drive a stake through its heart — get rid of, destroy permanently or stop talking about

drive a wedge — To separate.

drive away — To force someone or something to leave

drive back — To force someone or something to retreat or move away; repel.

drive down — To cause or force a price, quantity, rate, etc. to decrease.

drive off — To force to leave or go away.

drive out — To push or to pull, i.e. to force, (someone or something) out of somewhere.

drive someone crazy — To annoy or irritate.

Show all 16

drive someone to drink — To cause someone to drink lots of alcohol, as an escape from frustration.

drive someone up the wall — To make a person very angry or frustrated; to infuriate.

drive the porcelain bus — Synonym of worship the porcelain god (“to vomit into a toilet bowl, especially while drunk or hungover”).

drive to drink — Synonym of drive someone crazy.

drive up — To cause or force a price, quantity, rate, etc. to increase.

let drive — To aim a blow; to strike with force; to attack; to shoot (an arrow or firearm).

The word in film

Drive · 2011 · Crime

Directed by:
Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring:
Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan

Ryan Gosling stars in this stylish crime drama as a quiet stuntman who works as a getaway driver for criminals at night. Director Nicolas Winding Refn focuses on the character's incredible skill behind the wheel as he navigates the dangerous streets of Los Angeles.

Domains

AviationHardwareMilitaryMiningPsychologySports

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Very common
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference