drifting

ADJECTIVE

afloat

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adrift

Antonyms

WEAK

aground ashore beached docked

ADJECTIVE

aimless

Synonyms

STRONGEST

desultory erratic frivolous haphazard indiscriminate pointless random

WEAK

accidental any which way bits and pieces blind capricious careless casual chance directionless fanciful fickle fits and starts flighty fortuitous goalless heedless hit-or-miss indecisive irresolute objectless purposeless shiftless stray thoughtless unavailing undirected unguided unplanned unpredictable vagrant wandering wanton wayward

Antonyms

STRONGEST

definite methodical particular sensible specific systematic

WEAK

determined directed goal-oriented motivated pointed purposeful resolute

ADJECTIVE

carried

Synonyms

STRONG

borne lugged toted

ADJECTIVE

errant

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aberrant erratic offending stray unorthodox wayward

WEAK

deviating devious errable erring fallible heretic meandering misbehaving mischievous miscreant naughty off straight and narrow rambling ranging roaming roving shifting sinning straying unreliable wandering

Antonyms

STRONGEST

normal

WEAK

correct righteous

ADJECTIVE

flying

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aerial floating soaring

STRONG

express flapping fleet fluttering gliding hovering mobile plumed streaming swooping waving winging zooming

WEAK

aeronautical airborne avian mercurial on the wing speedy volant volar volitant

ADJECTIVE

idling

Synonyms

STRONG

loafing lolling resting

Antonyms

STRONG

active

ADJECTIVE

migrant/migratory

Synonyms

WEAK

casual changing emigrating errant gypsy immigrant immigrating impermanent itinerant migrative migratorial mobile nomad nomadic on the move passing over passing through peripatetic ranging roving seasonal shifting temporary tramp transient transmigratory unsettled vagabond vagrant wandering

Antonyms

WEAK

staying

ADJECTIVE

migrational

Synonyms

WEAK

casual changing emigrating errant immigrant immigrating impermanent itinerant migrant migrative migratorial mobile nomad nomadic on the move passing over passing through peripatetic ranging roving seasonal shifting temporary tramp transient transmigratory unsettled vagabond vagrant wandering

ADJECTIVE

nomadic

Synonyms

STRONGEST

pastoral peripatetic wandering

WEAK

itinerate migrant migratory perambulant perambulatory roaming roving traveling vagabond vagrant wayfaring

Antonyms

WEAK

native settled

ADJECTIVE

purposeless

Synonyms

WEAK

aimless designless desultory empty feckless floundering fustian goalless good-for-nothing haphazard hit-or-miss indiscriminate irregular meaningless motiveless needless nonsensical pointless purportless random senseless uncalled for undirected unhelpful unnecessary unplanned unprofitable unpurposed vacuous wanton worthless

Antonyms

WEAK

decided deliberate determined planned purposeful significant useful

ADJECTIVE

transmigratory

Synonyms

WEAK

changing emigrating errant immigrant immigrating impermanent itinerant migrant migrational migrative migratorial mobile nomad nomadic on the move passing over passing through peripatetic ranging roving seasonal shifting temporary transient unsettled vagrant wandering

ADJECTIVE

vagabond

Synonyms

STRONG

down-and-out fly-by-night idle itinerant journeying mendicant moving peripatetic prodigal rambling roaming rootless roving sauntering shifting straggling stray strolling transient travelling unsettled wandering wayfaring

WEAK

aimless destitute errant fancy-free footloose migratory nomadic perambulant perambulatory shiftless wayward

Antonyms

STRONG

fixed permanent settled unmoving

WEAK

inhabiting

ADJECTIVE

wandering

Synonyms

STRONGEST

itinerant

STRONG

mobile

WEAK

migratory

ADJECTIVE

wandering

Synonyms

STRONGEST

meandering nomadic roving

STRONG

deviating migrant rambling roaming straying traveling unsettled vagabond vagrant wayfaring

WEAK

devious digressive errant erratic excursive landloping migratory planetary

Antonyms

STRONG

settled

ADJECTIVE

wayfaring

Synonyms

STRONG

gadabout itinerant journeying peripatetic roving vagabond vagrant walking wandering

WEAK

globetrotting itinerate jet-setting nomadic perambulant perambulatory rambling rubbernecking voyaging

Antonyms

STRONG

settled

WEAK

unmoving

ADVERB

adrift

Synonyms

STRONGEST

afloat

WEAK

loose unanchored unmoored

Antonyms

WEAK

anchored on course tied down

NOUN

boating

Synonyms

STRONGEST

rowing sailing

STRONG

canoeing cruising paddling sculling trawling yachting

NOUN

digression

Synonyms

STRONGEST

detour footnote

STRONG

apostrophe aside deflection departure difference divagation divergence diversion episode excursion excursus incident note parenthesis variation wandering

WEAK

discursion obiter dictum rambling

Antonyms

STRONG

accord agreement sameness similarity

WEAK

directness straightness

NOUN

irrelevancy

Synonyms

STRONG

apostrophe aside deflection departure detour deviation difference divagation divergence divergency diversion episode excursion excursus footnote incident note parenthesis tangent variation wandering

WEAK

discursion obiter dictum rambling

Antonyms

STRONG

accord agreement conformity sameness similarity uniformity

NOUN

parenthesis

Synonyms

STRONG

apostrophe aside deflection departure detour deviation difference divagation divergence divergency diversion episode excursion excursus footnote incident irrelevancy note tangent variation wandering

WEAK

discursion obiter dictum rambling

Antonyms

STRONG

accord agreement conformity sameness similarity uniformity

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In Meghalaya's capital, music spills constantly through public life: church choirs rehearsing late into the evening, teenage metal bands in garages, blues musicians drifting through dimly-lit bars.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

One big point in stocks’ favor: While rates have been gradually drifting upwards, nothing like 2022’s barrage of rate hikes is on the table, at least so far.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

The Goldman team reports that recent behavior of the currency, steadily drifting upward, suggests a sustained move higher is “the right baseline.”

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

QNX is the operating system that enables all kinds of driver assistance: collision warnings, blind-spot notifications, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection and steering you back into a lane when you’re drifting into trouble.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Stay here with us, boy with the drifting souls.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

drifting

Example Sentences

Related Words