Drive

English Meaning

To impel or urge onward by force in a direction away from one, or along before one; to push forward; to compel to move on; to communicate motion to; as, to drive cattle; to drive a nail; smoke drives persons from a room.

1. To push, propel, or press onward forcibly; urge forward: drove the horses into the corral.
2. To repulse or put to flight by force or influence: drove the attackers away; drove out any thought of failure.
3. To guide, control, or direct (a vehicle).
4. To convey or transport in a vehicle: drove the children to school.
5. To traverse in a vehicle: drive the freeways to work.
6. To supply the motive force or power to and cause to function: Steam drives the engine.
7. To cause or sustain, as if by supplying force or power: "The current merger mania is apparently driven by an urge . . . to reduce risk or to exploit opportunities in a very rapidly changing business environment” ( Peter Passell).
8. To compel or force to work, often excessively: "Every serious dancer is driven by notions of perfection—perfect expressiveness, perfect technique” ( Susan Sontag).
9. To force into or from a particular act or state: Indecision drives me crazy.
10. To force to go through or penetrate: drove the stake into the ground.
11. To create or produce by penetrating forcibly: The nail drove a hole in the tire.
12. To carry through vigorously to a conclusion: drove home his point; drive a hard bargain.
13. Sports To throw, strike, or cast (a ball, for example) hard or rapidly.
14. Basketball To move with the ball directly through: drove the lane and scored.
15. Baseball To cause (a run or runner) to be scored by batting. Often used with in.
16. To chase (game) into the open or into traps or nets.
17. To search (an area) for game in such a manner.
18. To move along or advance quickly as if pushed by an impelling force.
19. To rush, dash, or advance violently against an obstruction: The wind drove into my face.
20. To operate a vehicle, such as a car.
21. To go or be transported in a vehicle: drove to the supermarket.
22. Sports To hit, throw, or impel a ball or other missile forcibly.
23. Basketball To move directly to the basket with the ball.
24. To make an effort to reach or achieve an objective; aim.
25. The act of driving.
26. A trip or journey in a vehicle.
27. A road for automobiles and other vehicles.
28. The means or apparatus for transmitting motion or power to a machine or from one machine part to another.
29. The position or operating condition of such a mechanism: "He put his car into drive and started home” ( Charles Baxter).
30. The means by which automotive power is applied to a roadway: four-wheel drive.
31. The means or apparatus for controlling and directing an automobile: right-hand drive.
32. Computer Science A device that reads data from and often writes data onto a storage medium, such as a floppy disk.
33. A strong organized effort to accomplish a purpose. See Synonyms at campaign.
34. Energy, push, or aggressiveness.
35. Psychology A strong motivating tendency or instinct related to self-preservation, reproduction, or aggression that prompts activity toward a particular end.
36. A massive, sustained military offensive.
37. Sports The act of hitting, knocking, or thrusting a ball very swiftly.
38. Sports The stroke or thrust by which a ball is driven.
39. Basketball The act of moving with the ball directly to the basket.
40. A rounding up and driving of cattle to new pastures or to market.
41. A gathering and driving of logs down a river.
42. The cattle or logs thus driven.
43. drive at To mean to do or say: I don't understand what you're driving at.