Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of drive

115 similar words · 5 opposite words

Another word for drive is motivation. Other synonyms of drive are ride, motorvate, take, fly and pilot. The opposite of drive is laziness.

Synonyms and similar words for drive

verbTo operate (a wheeled motorized vehicle).

verbTo travel by operating a wheeled motorized vehicle.

verbTo convey (a person, etc.) in a wheeled motorized vehicle.

verbTo operate (an aircraft); to pilot.

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

  • droveTo herd cattle; particularly over a long distance.
  • goadTo incite or provoke.
  • herdTo move or drive a herd.

verb(especially animals) To cause to flee out of.

  • flushTo cause to take flight from concealment.
  • flush outTo drive out or expose something or someone, as a game bird or other game animal from cover.
  • scare upTo frighten (an animal, especially a game animal) into appearing from cover.

verbTo provide an impetus for motion or other physical change, to move an object by means of the...

  • forceTo drive (something) by force, to propel (generally + prepositional phrase or adverb).
  • pushTo continually attempt to persuade (a person) into a particular course of action.

verbTo cause (a mechanism) to operate.

  • moveTo cause to change place or posture in any manner; to set in motion; to carry, convey, draw, or push from one place to...
  • operate

verbTo motivate; to provide an incentive for.

  • impelTo urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation.
  • incentivise
  • incentivize
  • urgeTo put mental pressure on; to ply with motives, arguments, persuasion, or importunity.
  • actuateTo incite to action; to motivate.
  • goose
  • fuel
  • light a fire underTo motivate or encourage (someone) to start sooner or move faster.
  • sendTo bring to a certain condition, to drive.
  • sting
  • bring aboutTo cause to take place.
  • drawTo attract or provoke (a particular reaction or response) from someone.
  • encourageTo mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
  • egg onTo encourage or coax (a person) to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.
  • engenderTo bring into existence (a situation, quality, result etc.); to give rise to, cause, create.
  • evokeTo elicit a response.
  • exciteTo arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate.
  • fomentTo incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.
  • ignite figurativelyTo spark off (something), to trigger.
  • incite
  • induceTo cause, bring about, lead to.
  • inflame figurativelyTo excite or intensify (a feeling, such as an appetite or passion), especially to an excessive or unnatural level.
  • instigate
  • invokeTo bring about as an inevitable consequence.
  • lash
  • motiveTo prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
  • motivateTo provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.
  • obligate
  • oblige
  • promoteTo encourage, urge or incite.
  • promptTo initiate; to cause or lead to.
  • provokeTo bring about a reaction.
  • rouseTo provoke (someone) to react (for example, in anger or annoyance); to spur; also, to annoy, to tease.
  • set offTo begin; to cause; to initiate.
  • spark offTo initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.
  • spurTo urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object.
  • spur onTo spur or urge (someone) to do something.
  • stimulateTo encourage into action.
  • stirTo incite to action.
  • stir upTo arouse or excite (passion or action, etc.).
  • stoke figuratively
  • temptTo provoke something; to court.
  • whip upTo arouse or excite.
  • abet obsoleteTo urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
  • cheer obsoleteTo encourage to do something.
  • grill Scotland, USTo make angry; provoke; offend, incite.
  • whet obsoleteTo inculcate or teach (habits, information, etc.).

verbTo compel, exert pressure, coerce (to do something).

verbTo cause to become.

verbTo motivate through the application or demonstration of force; to impel or urge onward in such a...

  • coerce
  • intimidateTo make timid or afraid; to cause to feel fear or nervousness; to deter, especially by threats of violence.
  • threaten
  • buffalo US, slangTo outwit, confuse, deceive, or intimidate.
  • bullyTo intimidate (someone) as a bully.
  • browbeatTo bully in an intimidating, bossy, or supercilious way.
  • cowTo intimidate; to daunt the spirits or courage of.
  • dastardizeTo make cowardly; to intimidate or weaken the spirits of.
  • daunt
  • disheartenTo discourage someone by removing their enthusiasm or courage.
  • do downTo belittle or intimidate.
  • domineerTo rule over or control arbitrarily or arrogantly; to tyrannize.
  • hector
  • menace
  • strong-armTo bully, to intimidate; to coerce, to muscle.
  • bulldoze US, dated

verbTo move forcefully.

verbTo carry or to keep in motion; to conduct; to prosecute.

verbTo clear, by forcing away what is contained.

verbTo dig horizontally; to cut a horizontal gallery or tunnel.

verbTo be the dominant party in a sex act.

nounPlanned, usually long-lasting, effort to achieve something; ability coupled with ambition...

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

  • driftThe animals being moved in a drive, as of cattle, goats, horses, pigs or sheep.

nounA sustained advance in the face of the enemy to take an objective.

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

  • gear
  • engineA complex mechanical device which converts energy into useful motion or physical effects.
  • motorA machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion.

nounA trip made in a vehicle (now generally in a motor vehicle).

nounA driveway.

nounA type of public roadway.

  • avenueA broad street, especially one bordered by trees or, in cities laid out in a grid pattern, one that is on a particular...
  • boulevard
  • road
  • street

nounDesire or interest.

nounAn apparatus for reading and writing data to or from a mass storage device such as a disk.

Opposite of drive

nounPlanned, usually long-lasting, effort to achieve something; ability coupled with ambition...

Meaning of drive

  1. verb To operate (a wheeled motorized vehicle).
  2. verb To travel by operating a wheeled motorized vehicle.
  3. verb To convey (a person, etc.) in a wheeled motorized vehicle.

Full definition of drive

drive in other languages

Questions about synonyms of drive

What is another word for drive?
Drive has 115 synonyms on Word.ws, such as motivation, ride, motorvate, take, fly, pilot, drove and goad.
What is the opposite of drive?
The opposite of drive is laziness.
What does drive mean?
Drive means to operate (a wheeled motorized vehicle).

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: drive (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of drive.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/drive. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.