drive

driveverb

To drive is to make something go forward with force: a car along a road, animals ahead of you, a machine with power, or a person toward a strong feeling.

1. control a vehiclecontrol a car, bus, or other vehicle so that it moves

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj]

   • Can you drive?
   • She drives a small red car. V + obj
   • He drives a bus for a living. V + obj
   • I'm learning to drive.

   Collocations

   verb + noun drive a car, drive a bus, drive a truck

   verb + adverb drive carefully, drive fast, drive slowly

   Compare ride

2. traveltravel somewhere in a car

   intransitive [I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]

   • We drove to the coast for the weekend. V + adv/prep
   • It takes about an hour to drive there. V + adv/prep
   • They drove all night.

   Collocations

   verb + preposition drive to work, drive from the airport

   verb + adverb drive home, drive back, drive away

3. take someonetake someone somewhere in a car

   transitive [T] verb + object + adverb [V + obj + adv] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • I'll drive you to the station. V + obj + prep + obj
   • Can you drive me home after the party? V + obj + adv
   • Her father drives her to school every day. V + obj + prep + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun drive someone home, drive someone to school, drive someone to the station

   Synonyms take; run

4. make someone feelforce someone into a strong feeling or state, often a bad one, or make them do something they would not normally do

   Drive someone crazy and drive someone mad are informal and very common, often said of small everyday problems.

   transitive [T] verb + object + adjective [V + obj + adj] verb + object + to-infinitive [V + obj + to-inf] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • That noise is driving me crazy! V + obj + adj
   • The heat nearly drove us mad. V + obj + adj
   • Hunger drove them to steal. V + obj + to-inf
   • The long wait drove her to tears. V + obj + prep + obj

   Collocations

   phrase drive someone crazy, drive someone mad, drive someone to something, drive someone to do something

5. force to moveforce people or animals to go somewhere

   transitive [T] verb + object + adverb [V + obj + adv] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • The farmer drove the sheep into the field. V + obj + prep + obj
   • The rain drove us indoors. V + obj + adv
   • Thousands of people were driven from their homes by the fighting. V + obj + prep + obj (passive)

   Collocations

   verb + noun drive animals, drive someone away, drive someone out

6. power or causeprovide the power or the strong reason that makes something move, work, or happen

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + adverb [V + obj + adv]

   • The wheels are driven by a small motor. V + obj (passive)
   • Strong demand is driving prices up. V + obj + adv
   • She is driven by a desire to succeed. V + obj (passive: wanting to succeed very much)

   Collocations

   verb + adverb drive something up, drive something down

   phrase be driven by something

7. hit hardhit or push something so that it goes into something hard

   transitive [T] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • He drove a nail into the wall. V + obj + prep + obj
   • They drove the posts deep into the ground. V + obj + prep + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun drive a nail into something