- be carried slowly by a current of air or water飘; 漂流：
the cabin cruiser started to drift downstream
游艇开始向下游漂去
figurative 〈喻〉excited voices drifted down the hall.
兴奋的声音在大厅里荡漾。
- with adverbial of direction(of a person) walk slowly, aimlessly, or casually（人）随便（或无目的地）慢慢走动：
people began to drift away.
人们开始慢慢散去。
- with adverbial move passively, aimlessly, or involuntarily into a certain situation or condition任其自然地（或不知不觉地）进入（某种状态）：
I was drifting off to sleep
我不知不觉睡着了
Lewis and his father drifted apart.
刘易斯与他父亲不知不觉地疏远了。
- (of a person or their attention) digress or stray to another subject（人）离题; （注意力）分散：
I noticed my audience's attention drifting.
我注意到听众的注意力在分散。
- (especially of snow or leaves) be blown into heaps by the wind（尤指雪或树叶）被吹积：
fallen leaves start to drift in the gutters
落叶开始被风吹积在排水沟内
as adj. drifting drifting snow.被风吹积起来的雪。
- in sing. a continuous slow movement from one place to another（不断缓慢的）流动：
there was a drift to the towns.
曾经发生过一次人口向城镇的流动。
- mass noun the deviation of a vessel, aircraft, or projectile from its intended or expected course as the result of currents or winds（水流或气流导致的船舶、飞机或射弹的）偏航, 偏移：
the pilot had not noticed any appreciable drift.
飞机驾驶员没有发现任何明显的偏航。
- a steady movement or development from one thing towards another, especially one that is perceived as unwelcome（尤指令人不安的）逐渐转变（或发展）; 动向, 趋势：
the drift towards a more repressive style of policing.
向更具压制性的治安维持模式的渐变。
- mass noun a state of inaction or indecision不作为; 优柔寡断：
after so much drift, any expression of enthusiasm is welcome.
犹豫了这么久之后, 任何热情的表达都是受欢迎的。
- Motor Racing a controlled skid, used in taking bends at high speeds.【赛车】（高速行驶中转弯时）有控滑移。
- Brit. historical an act of driving cattle or sheep〈英, 史〉赶牛; 赶羊。
- Brit. historical a herding of cattle within a forest to a particular place on an appointed day in order to determine ownership or to levy fines〈英, 史〉林中赶拢牲口（以判定所有权或收取罚金）。
- in sing. the general intention or meaning of an argument or someone's remarks要旨; 大意：
he didn't understand much Greek, but he got her drift.
他不太懂希腊语, 但他明白她的大致意思。
- a large mass of snow, leaves, or other material piled up or carried along by the wind（雪、树叶等的）吹积物。
- mass noun Geology glacial and fluvioglacial deposits left by retreating ice sheets【地质】冰碛。
- a large mass of flowering plants growing together大丛开花植物：
a drift of daffodils.
一大丛水仙。
- Mining a horizontal or inclined passage following a mineral vein or coal seam【矿】水平巷道, 平巷, 平峒。
- S. African a ford〈南非〉浅滩。