drifter

noun

drift·​er ˈdrif-tər How to pronounce drifter (audio)
: one that drifts
especially : one that travels or moves about aimlessly

Examples of drifter in a Sentence

He was a drifter who hitchhiked from state to state. the drifter just packed up and moved on to the next dead-end job
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From the beginning, Autumn has always been the most mysterious character — a drifter who showed up in episode one to camp on the west pasture and almost immediately pushed Royal into the hole as an experiment. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 15 May 2024 The now-deceased drifter from Cleveland was recently identified as the man who killed Janice Christensen at a Hudson park in August 1987. Stephanie Warsmith and Paula Schleis, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024 These are the drifters: the people who somehow slid out of view as our lives took different paths. Claire Cohen, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2024 If Duncan has embraced the life of the solitary drifter, other EI refugees seek haven in like-minded communities. Evan Malmgren, Harper's Magazine, 21 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for drifter 

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drifter was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near drifter

Cite this Entry

“Drifter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drifter. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

drifter

noun
drift·​er ˈdrif-tər How to pronounce drifter (audio)
: one that drifts
especially : a person who travels about without purpose

More from Merriam-Webster on drifter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!