Meaning & use

adrift

adjective·Advanced

Floating on water without being steered, anchored, or controlled by anyone.

See it in a sentence

The small boat was found adrift several miles from the harbor.

After losing his job, he felt emotionally adrift for several months.

A note on using this word

Adrift often shifts to a figurative sense meaning lacking direction or purpose in life, not just physically unmoored.

Words with a similar meaning

floatingaimless

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

anchoredmoored

Make it your own

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