: 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
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
To add to the existing drama, rumors of a local drifter and murderer dovetail with the arrival of a stranger at Margaret’s home (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), a preacher who claims to know her husband, and who also appears to have supernatural powers.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drifter 
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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
To add to the existing drama, rumors of a local drifter and murderer dovetail with the arrival of a stranger at Margaret’s home (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), a preacher who claims to know her husband, and who also appears to have supernatural powers.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Sep. 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 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drifter
noun
drift·er
ˈdrif-tər 
: one that drifts
especially
: a person who travels about without purpose
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