drives

Noun

drive (countable and uncountable, plural drives)

1. Planned, usually long-lasting, effort to achieve something; ability coupled with ambition, determination, and motivation.
   • Crassus had wealth and wit, but Pompey had drive and Caesar as much again.

   Synonyms:

   ambition, grit, push, verve, motivation, get-up-and-go, self-motivation

   Antonyms:

   inertia, lack of motivation, laziness, phlegm, sloth

2. Violent or rapid motion; a rushing onward or away; (especially) a forced or hurried dispatch of business.
   • The Murdstonian drive in business.1881, Matthew Arnold, The Incompatibles
3. (broadly) An act of driving game animals forward, to be captured or hunted.
   • 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
4. (broadly) An act of driving livestock animals forward, to transport a herd.

   Synonyms:

   drove, drift

5. A sustained advance in the face of the enemy to take an objective.
   • Napoleon's drive on Moscow was as determined as it was disastrous.

   Synonyms:

   attack, push

6. A mechanism used to power or give motion to a vehicle or other machine or machine part.
   • steam drive, nuclear drive, chain drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive

   Synonyms:

   gear, engine, motor

See all 55 meanings of drive