: one that drifts
especially
: one that travels or moves about aimlessly
Synonyms
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
Mulroney plays Keith, a solitary drifter spending his final days scavenging and in search of human connection.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025
Not a lot of information is available about Keanu Reeves’s homes—likely because for a long time, the actor was a bit of a drifter.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2025
Police eventually identified this violent criminal as Richard Ramirez, a drifter from El Paso, Texas, with a history of drug abuse and auto theft.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
The former is available for streaming on Tubi. 'Cursed'
This indie horror movie, about an American drifter whose life takes a supernatural turn in a rural village in Romania, was filmed in the West Bend area.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drifter 
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Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025
Not a lot of information is available about Keanu Reeves’s homes—likely because for a long time, the actor was a bit of a drifter.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2025
Police eventually identified this violent criminal as Richard Ramirez, a drifter from El Paso, Texas, with a history of drug abuse and auto theft.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
The former is available for streaming on Tubi. 'Cursed'
This indie horror movie, about an American drifter whose life takes a supernatural turn in a rural village in Romania, was filmed in the West Bend area.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drifter
Dictionary Entries Near drifter
Cite this Entry
“Drifter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drifter. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drifter
noun
drift·er
ˈdrif-tər 
: one that drifts
especially
: a person who travels about without purpose
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