drive

• Crassus had wealth and wit, but Pompey had drive and Caesar as much again.
• As we contemplate the half-finished arterial roads and electrification plans of our own age, and the town-planning schemes that gather dust in the public libraries, we can admire the drive and action of the railway...
• I confess that the sight of my minute man ahead, getting closer and closer, gives me a little more drive even when I think I am going as fast as I can. - 1986, Fred Matheny, Solo Cycling: How to Train and Race Bicycle...

Synonyms: ambition grit push verve motivation get-up-and-go self-motivation

Antonyms: inertia lack of motivation laziness phlegm sloth

• The Murdstonian drive in business. - 1881, Matthew Arnold, The Incompatibles:

• Are you all ready?’ he cried, and set off towards the dead ash where the drive would begin. - 1955, Robin Jenkins, The Cone-Gatherers, Canongate, published 2012, page 79:

1. An act of driving game animals forward, to be captured or hunted.

2. An act of driving livestock animals forward, to transport a herd.

   Synonyms: drove drift

• Napoleon's drive on Moscow was as determined as it was disastrous.
• On the other hand, in Eritrea (once our Forces had recaptured Kassala on January 19) the drive was generally eastward towards the capital, Asmara, and the Red Sea port of Massaua. - 1941 August, Charles E. Lee,...

Synonyms: attack push

• steam drive, nuclear drive, chain drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive
• Some old model trains have clockwork drives.
• A universal joint shaft takes the drive to the final drive unit mounted centrally on one of the axles. - 1958 April 5, “Diesel Railbus for British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 275:

Synonyms: gear engine motor

1. A mechanism used to power or give motion to a vehicle or other machine or machine part.

2. The location of the steering wheel used to control a vehicle.

   • left-hand drive, right-hand drive

3. (automotive) The gear into which one usually shifts an automatic transmission when one is driving a car or truck. (Denoted with symbol D on a shifter's labeling.)

   • Normally you should be in drive, although you can select a lower gear such as 2 or 1 for certain conditions, such as prolonged downhill stretches.

• The drive this morning was awful due to snow and ice.

1. A trip made in a vehicle (now generally in a motor vehicle).

   • It was a long drive to Santa Fe.
   • We merely waited to rouse good Mrs. Vesey from the place which she still occupied at the deserted luncheon-table, before we entered the open carriage for our promised drive. - 1859, Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White:

   Synonyms: ride spin trip

2. The act of driving a car with no destination in mind, generally to see the scenery, be alone with one's thoughts or to spend time with a partner.

   • We like to go for a drive on Sunday afternoons.

1. (dated) A place suitable or agreeable for driving; a road prepared for driving.

2. A driveway.

   • The mansion had a long, tree-lined drive.
   • We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine. We passed on the way the van of the guests from Asquith. - 1897 December...
   • Halfway from Hellingly Station, the railway enters the well-kept hospital grounds, and runs parallel with a tree-lined drive about half a mile long. - 1957 December 5, H. R. Stones, “The Hellingly Hospital Railway”, in...

   Synonyms: approach driveway

3. (generally, capitalized) A type of public roadway.

   • Beverly Hills’ most famous street is Rodeo Drive.

   Synonyms: avenue boulevard road street

• 1995 March 2, John Carman, "Believe It, You Saw It in Sweeps", SFGate http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Believe-It-You-Saw-It-In-Sweeps-3043091.php On the latter show, former Playboy Playmate Carrie Westcott...

Synonyms: desire impetus impulse urge

Synonyms: disk drive

1. (computer hardware) An apparatus for reading and writing data to or from a mass storage device such as a disk.

2. (computer hardware) A mass storage device in which the mechanism for reading and writing data is integrated with the mechanism for storing data.

• I suffered under the intense drive of my new job.

• a long drive

• The bridges weren't strong enough to drive (campers) over.
• This SUV drives insanely smoothly—it's like it knows what I want before I do.

Synonyms: ride

Hyponyms: test-drive

1. (transitive, ergative) To operate (a wheeled motorized vehicle).

2. (intransitive) To travel by operating a wheeled motorized vehicle.

   • I drive to work every day.

   Synonyms: motorvate

3. (transitive) To convey (a person, etc.) in a wheeled motorized vehicle.

   • My cousin drove me to the airport.

   Synonyms: take

4. (transitive, slang, aviation) To operate (an aircraft); to pilot.

   • drive a 737

   Synonyms: fly pilot

5. (transitive, intransitive) To direct a vehicle powered by a horse, ox or similar animal.

   • There is a litter ready; lay him in’t And drive towards Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet Both welcome and protection. - c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares...
   • We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case. Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters...

• to drive twenty thousand head of cattle from Texas to the Kansas railheads; to drive sheep out of a field

Synonyms: drove goad herd

1. (transitive) (especially of animals) To impel or urge onward by force; to push forward; to compel to move on.

2. (transitive) (especially animals) To cause to flee out of.

   • The hunting dog drove the birds out of the tall grass.
   • We'll drive the enemy from these lands once and for all.

   Synonyms: flush flush out scare up

• You drive nails into wood with any hammer; it's not as strenuous as driving a tunnel through the rock.
• Moving very quietly, I crept up the stairs, and at the top drove one drawing-pin into the lintel about a foot up, another at the same height into the baluster opposite […] - 1923, Ernest Bramah, The Eyes of Max Carrados:

Synonyms: force push

1. (transitive) To provide an impetus for motion or other physical change, to move an object by means of the provision of force thereto.

2. (transitive) To cause (a mechanism) to operate.

   • The pistons drive the crankshaft.

   Synonyms: move operate

3. (intransitive, sports, cricket, tennis, baseball) To hit the ball with a drive.

4. (transitive) To separate the lighter (feathers or down) from the heavier, by exposing them to a current of air.

• One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail; Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail. - c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares...

• My husband's constant harping about the condition of the house threatens to drive me to distraction.

1. (transitive) To provide an impetus for a change in one's situation or state of mind.

2. (transitive) To motivate; to provide an incentive for.

   • What drives a person to run a marathon?

   Synonyms: impel incentivise incentivize push urge abet actuate goose light a fire under send sting bring about cheer draw drive encourage egg on engender evoke excite foment goad grill ignite

3. (transitive) To compel, exert pressure, coerce (to do something).

   • Their debts finally drove them to sell the business.
   • He driuen to dismount, threatned, if I did not the like, to doo as much for my horse, as Fortune had done for his. - c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke...
   • But darkness and the gloomy shade of death Environ you, till mischief and despair Drive you to break your necks or hang yourselves! - 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr....

   Synonyms: compel force oblige push require

4. (transitive) To cause to become.

   • This constant complaining is going to drive me insane.
   • You are driving me crazy!
   • 1855, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Maud, XXV, 1. in Maud, and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, p. 90, And then to hear a dead man chatter Is enough to drive one mad.

   Synonyms: make send render

5. (transitive) To motivate through the application or demonstration of force; to impel or urge onward in such a way.

   • Frothing at the mouth and threatening expulsion, Coach relentlessly drove the team to more laps of the pitch.
   • […] Demosthenes desired them first to put in at Pylos and not to proceed on their voyage until they had done what he wanted. They objected, but it so happened that a storm came on and drove them into Pylos. - 1881,...

   Synonyms: coerce intimidate threaten buffalo bulldoze bully browbeat cow dastardize daunt dishearten do down domineer drive hector menace strong-arm

6. (transitive) To urge, press, or bring to a point or state.

   • The negotiations were driven to completion minutes before the final deadline.
   • If you drive yourself so much, you'll end up having a breakdown.
   • And now we're waiting for the very same people to establish GBR, drive through urgently needed fares reform, and come up with imaginative and effective train operating contracts... - 2022 January 12, Nigel Harris,...

• […] Unequal match’d, Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage strikes wide; - c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, &...
• Thus while the Pious Prince his Fate bewails, Fierce Boreas drove against his flying Sails. And rent the Sheets […] - 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing...
• Time driveth onward fast, And in a little while our lips are dumb. - 1833, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “The Lotos-Eaters”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, page 113:

Synonyms: onrush plough

• […] as a duck for life that dives, So up and down the poor ship drives: - c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […],...
• […] the Captain […] order’d the Cable to be cut, and let the Ship drive nearer the Land, where she soon beat to pieces: - 1743, Robert Drury, The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during his...

• You know the Trade of Life can’t be driven without Partners; there is a reciprocal Dependance between the Greatest and the Least. - 1694, Jeremy Collier, “Of General Kindness”, in Miscellanies in Five Essays, London:...

Synonyms: continue carry on pursue

• We come not with design of wastful Prey, To drive the Country, force the Swains away: - 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and...

Synonyms: empty evacuate void

• 1852-1866, Charles Tomlinson, Cyclopaedia of Useful Arts and Manufactures If the miners find no ore, they drive or cut a gallery from the pit a short distance at right angles to the direction of the lodes found

Synonyms: tunnel