adrift — floating without being steered or controlled; lacking purpose or direction
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: floating without being steered or controlled; lacking purpose or direction
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈdrɪft/
Example Sentences
- After graduation, he felt completely adrift without a clear career plan.
- The inflatable unicorn was adrift in the pool while everyone was having lunch.
- My attention span goes adrift whenever math class starts.
adrift
ADJECTIVE[/əˈdrɪft/]
floating without being steered or controlled; lacking purpose or direction

The small boat floats adrift on the open sea after losing its oars.

Adrift and slow, then swift winds blow!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old Norse 'á drifti' meaning 'on drift' or 'in a drifting state.' The prefix 'a-' comes from Old English meaning 'in a state of,' combined with 'drift' from Norse 'drift' meaning 'something driven or floating.'
Breakdown
a- (in a state of) + drift (floating without control) = adrift (floating without being steered)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“After graduation, he felt completely adrift without a clear career plan.”
“The inflatable unicorn was adrift in the pool while everyone was having lunch.”
“My attention span goes adrift whenever math class starts.”
“The company was adrift without proper leadership during the crisis.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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