Word.ws English Dictionary

driving a nail where it will go

driving a nail where it will go is the present participle and gerund of drive a nail where it will go.

Meaning of drive a nail where it will go

Verb

drive a nail where it will go (third-person singular simple present drives a nail where it will go, present participle driving a nail where it will go, simple past drove a nail where it would go, past participle driven a nail where it would go)

  1. (archaic) To take a pragmatic or expedient approach, rather than the ideal.
    • "Well, I think East is right," said Arthur; "I can't see but what it's right to do the best you can, though it mayn't be the best absolutely. Every man isn't born to be a martyr."
      "Of course, of course," said East; "but he's on one of his pet hobbies. — How often have I told you, Tom, that you must...1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days

Questions about driving a nail where it will go

What is driving a nail where it will go the present participle and gerund of?
Driving a nail where it will go is the present participle and gerund of drive a nail where it will go.

Words near driving a nail where it will go in the dictionary

  1. drivin'
  2. driving
  3. driving a coach and horses through
  4. driving a coach and six through
  5. driving a nail in someone's coffin
  6. driving a nail where it will go
  7. driving a stake through its heart
  8. driving a wedge
  9. driving a wedge between
  10. driving at
  11. driving away

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: driving a nail where it will go (page history and authors); drive a nail where it will go (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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