Floating without control or direction, especially on water. It can also describe feeling lost, without clear purpose or guidance in life or in a situation.
From *a-* (a prefix meaning “on” or “in”) and *drift* “to be carried along by a current.” It grew out of older nautical (sea-travel) language in English.
Sailors first used ‘adrift’ for boats that had literally broken free and were just going wherever the water took them. Today, we use the same word for people whose plans or emotions have slipped their moorings too.
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