to move slowly, especially as a result of outside forces, with no control over direction

No one noticed that the boat had begun to drift out to sea. 没有人注意到船已经开始漂向大海了。

A mist drifted in from the marshes. 一阵雾气从沼泽地里飘过来。

After the band stopped playing, people drifted away in twos and threes. 乐队演奏结束后，人们便三三两两地散去了。

figurative The talk drifted aimlessly from one subject to another. 谈话漫无目的地从一个主题转向另一个主题。

drift with the tideidiom disapproving 随波逐流；没有自己的观点；人云亦云

drift apartC2 （关系）渐渐疏远，冷淡下来

drift offC2 渐渐入睡

the general meaning without the details

The general drift of the article was that society doesn't value older people. 文章的大意是社会对年长者并不重视。

to understand the general meaning of what someone is saying

She could see from his expression that he caught her drift immediately.

You can make a point quite subtly and you know that the audience will get your drift.

I suspect she didn't catch your drift.

It took me a moment but then I caught his drift.

I didn't hear everything you said but I think I got your drift.

used to say that you have left out information or your opinion from what you have just said, but that you expect the person listening still to understand it

She's married, but she doesn't act as if she is, if you get my drift. 她结婚了，但她表现得不像是结了婚的，你明白我的意思吧。

I'm not sure she would be his type, if you catch my drift.

We might want to sit the two of them at different tables, if you get my drift.

Sara might not be the best person for the role, if you get my drift.

I think they're quite close nowadays, if you catch my drift.

a pile of snow or something similar, formed by the wind

The snow lay in deep drifts. 到处是风吹起来的厚厚的雪堆。

a general development or change in a situation

The downward drift in copper prices looks like it will continue. 铜价下跌的趋势看来还要持续下去。