# drive

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɹaɪv/ · frequency rank #764

## Definitions
1. To operate a vehicle:
2. To operate a vehicle:
3. To operate a vehicle:
4. To operate a vehicle:
5. To operate a vehicle:
6. To compel to move:
7. To compel to move:
8. To cause to move by the application of physical force:
9. To cause to move by the application of physical force:
10. To cause to move by the application of physical force:
11. To cause to move by the application of physical force:
12. To displace either physically or non-physically, through the application of force.
13. To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
14. To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
15. To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
16. To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
17. To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
18. To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
19. To move forcefully.
20. To be moved or propelled forcefully (especially of a ship).
21. To carry or to keep in motion; to conduct; to prosecute.
22. To clear, by forcing away what is contained.
23. To dig horizontally; to cut a horizontal gallery or tunnel.
24. To put together a drive (n.): to string together offensive plays and advance the ball down the field.
25. To distrain for rent.
26. To be the dominant party in a sex act.

## Etymology
From Middle English driven, from Old English drīfan (“to drive, force, move”), from Proto-West Germanic *drīban, from Proto-Germanic *drībaną (“to drive”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- (“to drive, push”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots drive (“to drive”), Yola dhreeve, dhrive, dreeve, drieve, drive (“to drive”), North Frisian driiv, driiw, driwe (“to drive”), West Frisian driuwe (“to drive; to float”), Alemannic German triibe (“to drive”), Dutch drijven (“to drive, push”), German treiben (“to drive, push, propel”), Low German drieven (“to drive, drift, push”), Luxembourgish dreiwen (“to drive, propel”), Yiddish טרײַבן (traybn, “to drive”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål drive (“to drive, propel”), Icelandic drífa (“to drive”), Norwegian Nynorsk driva, drive (“to drive, move; to propel; to run”), Swedish driva (“to drive, compel; to drift; to run”), Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 (dreiban, “to drive”).

## Easily confused with
- **drove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-drove)
- **drone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-drone)
- **Druze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-druze)
- **driver** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-driver)
- **driven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-driven)
- **drives** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-drives)
- **droves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-droves)
- **drivel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-drivel)
- **Drivers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drive-vs-drivers)
- **die** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/die-vs-drive)
- **Dre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dre-vs-drive)
- **div** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/div-vs-drive)
- **DRI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dri-vs-drive)
- **Dave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dave-vs-drive)
- **dive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dive-vs-drive)
- **dice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dice-vs-drive)
- **dove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dove-vs-drive)
- **dime** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dime-vs-drive)
- **dire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dire-vs-drive)
- **drip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drip-vs-drive)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ddrive`, `dirve`, `driev`, `drivve`, `drrive`, `drvie`, `rdive`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/drive