I.
noun
1 slow movement
ADJECTIVE
▪ gradual , slow
▪ leftward , rightward
▪
He criticized the rightward ~ of the party.
▪ continental
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ (away) from
▪
the ~ of people away from rural areas into urban slums
▪ ~ (back) to
▪
As the strike went on, there was a gradual ~ back to work.
▪ ~ into
▪
his ~ into crime
▪ ~ towards/toward
2 general meaning of sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ general , main
VERB + DRIFT
▪ catch , follow , get
▪
I didn't follow the speech exactly, but I caught the main ~ of what was being said.
3 pile of snow/sand made by the wind
ADJECTIVE
▪ deep
▪ sand , snow (usually snowdrift )
II.
verb
1 be carried along by the wind/water
ADVERB
▪ slowly
▪ helplessly
▪
Cold and hungry, they ~ed helplessly closer to the Arctic.
▪ downstream
▪
The boat ~ed slowly downstream.
▪ along , back , down , out , up , etc.
▪
Smoke ~ed up from the campfire.
PREPOSITION
▪ from , to , towards/toward , etc.
▪
They were ~ing out to sea.
▪ with
▪
We ~ed with the current.
2 move slowly/without purpose
ADVERB
▪ aimlessly
▪ gradually , slowly
▪
Her gaze gradually ~ed to the bookshelf.
▪ quietly , silently
▪ eventually , finally
▪
He finally ~ed back to his home town.
▪ about ( esp. BrE ), around , back , down , round ( esp. BrE ), up , etc.
▪
Voices ~ed up through the floorboards.
▪ apart , away , off
▪
Over the years the two friends ~ed apart.
VERB + DRIFT
▪ begin to
▪ seem to
▪ allow sth to , let sth
▪
He allowed his thoughts to ~ back to his conversation with Carrie.
PREPOSITION
▪ about ( BrE ), around , round ( esp. BrE )
▪
He spent the day ~ing aimlessly around the house.
▪ across
▪
She ~ed across the room to where we were standing.
▪ between
▪
She began to ~ between sleep and wakefulness.
▪ from
▪
We seem to be ~ing away from the point.
▪ into
▪
He ~ed into teaching, but never really enjoyed it.
▪ out of
▪
He ~ed in and out of consciousness.
PHRASAL VERB
drift off
ADVERB
▪ gradually , slowly
PREPOSITION
▪ into
▪
He ~ed off into a deep slumber.
PHRASES
▪ ~ off to sleep
▪
She closed her eyes and slowly ~ed off to sleep.
Drift is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ attention , ↑ boat , ↑ breeze , ↑ cloud , ↑ continent , ↑ conversation , ↑ eye , ↑ fog , ↑ gaze , ↑ mind , ↑ mist , ↑ music , ↑ scent , ↑ smell , ↑ smoke , ↑ snow , ↑ snowflake , ↑ word