drift
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++drift1 /drɪft/ ●●○ verb [intransitive] 1 TTWTTAmove slowly 缓慢移动 to move slowly on water or in the air 漂流；飘移drift out/towards etc The rubber raft drifted out to sea. 橡皮筏子漂向大海。 Smoke drifted up from the jungle ahead of us. 我们前方的丛林里有烟升起。2 without plan 无计划的TRAVEL to move, change, or do something without any plan or purpose 随意移动，漂泊；摇摆不定；漫无目的地行动drift around/along etc Jenni spent the year drifting around Europe. 珍妮这一年来一直在欧洲各地漂泊。drift into I just drifted into teaching, really. 我只是碰巧入了教书这一行，不骗你。drift away The others drifted away. Melanie stayed. 其他人都散去了，唯有梅拉妮留了下来。drift from something to something The conversation drifted from one topic to another. 话题从一个跳到另一个。let your gaze/eyes/thoughts/mind etc drift Idly she let her eyes drift over his desk. 她的目光百无聊赖地在他的书桌上游移。3 CHANGE/MAKE something DIFFERENTchange 改变 to gradually change from being in one condition, situation etc into another without realizing it 不知不觉地转变，无意间变成〔另一种状况〕drift into She was just drifting into sleep when the alarm went off. 她迷迷糊糊刚睡着，突然响起了警报。 He drifted in and out of consciousness. 他的神志时而清醒，时而迷糊。4 money/prices 钱/价格 if values, prices, shares etc drift, they gradually change 〔价值、价格、股价等〕浮动，慢慢变化 The dollar drifted lower against the yen today. 今天，美元对日元的汇率下滑了。5. DNsnow/sand 雪/沙 if snow, sand etc drifts, the wind blows it into large piles 吹积6 let something drift CONTINUE/NOT STOPto allow something, especially something bad, to continue in the same way 听任某事发展下去，对某事听之任之〔尤指坏事〕 He couldn’t let the matter drift for much longer. 他不能长期放任这件事情不管。7 drift apart phrasal verb RELATIONSHIPif people drift apart, their relationship gradually ends 〔关系〕逐渐疏远 Over the years my college friends and I have drifted apart. 久而久之，我和大学时期的朋友们逐渐疏远了。8 drift off phrasal verb SLEEPto gradually fall asleep 慢慢入睡 I was just drifting off when the phone rang. 我迷迷糊糊地刚要入睡，电话铃响了。 He felt himself drifting off to sleep. 他感觉自己迷迷糊糊地睡着了。→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
drift• Gradually they started drifting away to the main building to eat and sleep.• I walked at his side as if I were drunk, bumping into him, drifting crazily off.• They presently look like a team that could drift farther into oblivion each week.• All night Julie drifted in and out of consciousness.• We will pay special attention to the underlying social problems in high-crime areas, particularly to prevent young people drifting into crime.• It felt as though she'd drifted into some dreamlike watery paradise.• The smoke drifted lazily away to the westward, revealing to us the gray lines steadily advancing..• Ideas drifted quietly like falling petals into his mind.• A fine trail of dust dislodged from the door frame and drifted slowly to the ground.• Vargas Llosa's politics gradually drifted to the right.drift out/towards etc• Or sometimes, did not drift out?• She stepped aside into the doorway of the next room while Luch drifted out and down the stair.• Even the most saintly of people would drift towards complacency and arrogance after such a long period.• It would also be in line with the gradual drift towards fuel tax harmonisation across the Community.• Eventually we drift out into the leafy park behind the museum.• Louis music drifts out of clubs large and small throughout the city.• Twenty-four hours until kick-off and the hyperbole was drifting out of control.• Primo had drifted out of the conversation.let your gaze/eyes/thoughts/mind etc drift• Idly, he let his gaze drift across the horizon.• Frowning, she let her mind drift back to the events of two years ago.• Idly she let her eyes drift over his desk, over the orderly piles of papers and files arranged there.• Vass regarded her flushed face, then let his eyes drift slowly down the length of her slender, dressing-gown-clad figure.• He let his eyes drift up.drifting into sleep• He had lain in bed night after night drifting into sleep on a tide of euphoria.drift2 ●○○ noun 1 SNOWsnow/sand 雪/沙 [countable]DN a large pile of snow or sand that has been blown by the wind 〔风吹积成的〕雪堆，沙堆drift of The road is blocked with massive drifts of snow. 大堆大堆的积雪把路堵死了。 a snow drift 雪堆2 CHANGEchange 变化 [singular] a slow change or development from one situation, opinion etc to another 〔情形、意见等的〕渐变，趋势drift towards/to a drift towards longer working hours 工作时间不知不觉的变长3 movement of people 人口流动TRAVEL [singular, uncountable] a slow movement of large numbers of people that has not been planned 〔大量人口缓慢、无计划的〕流动4 the drift (of something) MEANINGthe general meaning of what someone is saying （言论的）大意，要点5. SHIPships/planes 船/飞机 [uncountable]TTW the movement of a ship or plane from its original direction because of the movement of the wind or water 〔风或水流引起的〕偏航6. slow movement 缓慢的移动 [uncountable] very slow movement, especially over water or through the air 漂流，漂移；飘游Examples from the Corpus
drift• The party has experienced a drift toward the right in the last two years.• The endless drift from the past to the future.• It was a complicated argument but I think I caught his drift.• High winds were becoming a problem, blowing snow into drifts 3 to 5 feet high in places.• All the roads to Denver were blocked by snow drifts.• His presidential hopes thus suffered a fatal blow in the snow drifts of New Hampshire.• Make sure that you correct the drift before touch down and then be prepared to prevent the swing into wind.• He was breathing, but his leg was a mess, must have been hit on the drift down.• The drifts were granulated and shrinking under my eyes.• The drift of his letter is that he wants to come back.• I follow your drift, but I just don't believe it.drift towards/to• He nodded slowly and she felt his gaze drift to the gold band on her wedding finger.• Then his usual calm came back, and he drifted to the door of the barn, hands in pockets.• He drifts to the sideboard and looks for something else.• But we are now drifting to the next stages of the methodology.• The smoke drifted to and fro among us.• Above all the drift to a self-seeking, self-satisfying, self-fulfilling approach to relationships is where the rot is really setting in.• But not the drift to the mainland for work for the young men.drift from/to/into• Looking carefully all about me, I drift into the carpark.• Adam blew the feather into the air and let it drift to the floor.• Morton drifted into the grand salon, which was teeming with people.• A piece of straw drifted to the ground.• The seminar also called on governments to support small farmers, in order to help reduce the drift to the cities.• Earth had begun to drift from the cross-wires; the radio antenna was no longer pointing toward its target.• We seemed to drift into tranquility once we reached the long plateau stretch on the high road to Taos.From Longman Business Dictionarydriftdrift1 /drɪft/ verb [intransitive] to go slowly up or down in value, without any particular directionLondon shares drifted in the absence of a statement from the Treasury.The dollar drifted lower against other major currencies in thin trading.The pound drifted down again yesterday.The Nasdaq Composite Index drifted higher throughout the session to close with a gain of 1.27%.→ See Verb tabledriftdrift2 noun [countable] a slow change or development from one situtation, opinion etc to anotherdrift to/towardsThe drift towards recession started when the slump in the service sector became as bad as the slump in manufacturing.Origin drift2 (1300-1400) Probably from Old Norse drift “pile of wind-blown snow”; related to drivedrift1 verbdrift2 nounChinese
the slowly on or Corpus to in air Business water move
drift
drift1 /drɪft/ 
verb [intransitive]
1. MOVE SLOWLY to move slowly on water or in the air
drift out/towards etc
The rubber raft drifted out to sea.
Smoke drifted up from the jungle ahead of us.
2. WITHOUT PLAN to move, change, or do something without any plan or purpose
drift around/along etc
Jenni spent the year drifting around Europe.
drift into
I just drifted into teaching, really.
drift away
The others drifted away. Melanie stayed.
drift from something to something
The conversation drifted from one topic to another.
let your gaze/eyes/thoughts/mind etc drift
Idly she let her eyes drift over his desk.
3. CHANGE to gradually change from being in one condition, situation etc into another without realizing it
drift into
She was just drifting into sleep when the alarm went off.
He drifted in and out of consciousness.
4. MONEY/PRICES if values, prices, shares etc drift, they gradually change:
The dollar drifted lower against the yen today.
5. SNOW/SAND if snow, sand etc drifts, the wind blows it into large piles
6. let something drift to allow something, especially something bad, to continue in the same way:
He couldn’t let the matter drift for much longer.
drift apart phrasal verb
if people drift apart, their relationship gradually ends:
Over the years my college friends and I have drifted apart.
drift off phrasal verb
to gradually fall asleep:
I was just drifting off when the phone rang.
He felt himself drifting off to sleep.
drift2 noun
drift of
The road is blocked with massive drifts of snow.
a snow drift
2. CHANGE [singular] a slow change or development from one situation, opinion etc to another
drift towards/to
a drift towards longer working hours
3. MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE [singular, uncountable] a slow movement of large numbers of people that has not been planned
drift from/to/into
the drift from the countryside to the cities
4. the drift (of something) the general meaning of what someone is saying:
So what’s the drift of the argument?
follow/get/catch sb’s drift (=understand the general meaning of what someone is saying)
She didn’t quite get my drift, did she?
5. SHIPS/PLANES [uncountable] the movement of a ship or plane from its original direction because of the movement of the wind or water
6. SLOW MOVEMENT [uncountable] very slow movement, especially over water or through the air
| I |
verb [intransitive]1. MOVE SLOWLY to move slowly on water or in the air
drift out/towards etc
2. WITHOUT PLAN to move, change, or do something without any plan or purpose
drift around/along etc
drift into
drift away
drift from something to something
let your gaze/eyes/thoughts/mind etc drift
3. CHANGE to gradually change from being in one condition, situation etc into another without realizing it
drift into
4. MONEY/PRICES if values, prices, shares etc drift, they gradually change:
5. SNOW/SAND if snow, sand etc drifts, the wind blows it into large piles
6. let something drift to allow something, especially something bad, to continue in the same way:
drift apart phrasal verb
if people drift apart, their relationship gradually ends:
drift off phrasal verb
to gradually fall asleep:
| II |
noun Date: 1300-1400
Origin: Probably from Old Norse drift 'pile of wind-blown snow'; related to drive
1. SNOW/SAND [countable] a large pile of snow or sand that has been blown by the windOrigin: Probably from Old Norse drift 'pile of wind-blown snow'; related to drive
drift of
2. CHANGE [singular] a slow change or development from one situation, opinion etc to another
drift towards/to
3. MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE [singular, uncountable] a slow movement of large numbers of people that has not been planned
drift from/to/into
4. the drift (of something) the general meaning of what someone is saying:
follow/get/catch sb’s drift (=understand the general meaning of what someone is saying)
5. SHIPS/PLANES [uncountable] the movement of a ship or plane from its original direction because of the movement of the wind or water
6. SLOW MOVEMENT [uncountable] very slow movement, especially over water or through the air
