drive

Universal Words verb, noun verb (drove ) vehicle 1 to operate a vehicle so that it goes in a particular direction: [V] Can you drive? * Don't drive so fast! * I drove to work this morning. * Shall we drive (= go there by car) or go by train? * [VN] He drives a taxi (= that is his job). 2 [VN] [usually +adv./prep.] to take sb somewhere in a car, taxi, etc: Could you drive me home? 3 [VN] to own or use a particular type of vehicle: What car do you drive? machine 4 [VN] [usuallypassive] to provide the power that makes a machine work: a steam-driven locomotive make sb do sth 5 [VN] to force sb to act in a particular way: The urge to survive drove them on. * You're driving yourself too hard. 6 to make sb very angry, crazy, etc. or to make them do sth extreme: [VN-ADJ] to drive sb crazy / mad * [VNtoinf] Hunger drove her to steal. * [VN] Those kids are driving me to despair. * (humorous) It's enough to drive you to drink (= to make you start drinking too much alcohol)! make sb / sth move 7 [VN+adv./prep.] to force sb/sth to move in a particular direction: to drive sheep into a field * The enemy was driven back. hit / push 8 [VN+adv./prep.] to force sth to go in a particular direction or into a particular position by pushing it, hitting it, etc: to drive a nail into a piece of wood make a hole 9 [VN+adv./prep.] to make an opening in or through sth by using force: They drove a tunnel through the solid rock. in sport 10 to hit a ball with force, sending it forward: [VN] to drive the ball into the rough (= in golf) [also V] wind / water 11 [VN] [usually +adv./prep.] to carry sth along: Huge waves drove the yacht onto the rocks. 12 [V] [usually +adv./prep.] to fall or move rapidly and with great force: The waves drove against the shore. * driving rain IDIOMS drive a coach and horses through sth to spoil sth, for example a plan drive sth home (to sb) to make sb understand or accept sth, by saying it often, loudly, angrily, etc: You will really need to drive your point home. drive sb insane to make sb more and more angry or irritated, especially over a long period of time: This job is driving me insane. what sb is driving at the thing sb is trying to say: I wish I knew what they were really driving at. moreatGROUNDn., HARDadj., SNOWn. PHRASALVERBS drive away