DRIFTER Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

drifter

noun

ˈdrif-tər

Definition of drifter

as in nomad

a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination the drifter just packed up and moved on to the next dead-end job

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drifter According to Rouse, the album grew out of observations gathered while traveling, with its songs populated by drifters, dreamers and fleeting encounters that blur the line between fiction and autobiography. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026 To pass the night, the actress recounts an older tale of a farming couple who take in a troubled young drifter as a series of grisly murders spreads fear across the frontier. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 22 July 2026 Popham, a drifter, small-time criminal, and frequent drug user, lived with the Bunyard family intermittently. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 Arngrim, 64, has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it (yet still unforgettable) moment in Episode 2 of the Netflix series playing Ida, a forest drifter who meets up with Laura (Alice Halsey) and her older sister Mary (Skywalker Hughes). — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for drifter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifter

Noun

View gallery - 7 images With its XL dimensions and lack of wheels to tow it, this cottage-like tiny house isn't the best fit for would-be nomads.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
The region’s majority Ngok Dinka population favors joining South Sudan, while Misseriya nomads who use its pastures favor Sudan.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of nomad

Noun

Torrey attributes his great interest in collecting to his grandparents who were serious travelers.

— Gay Gassmann, Architectural Digest, 19 Oct. 2026
During the repairs, travelers going to and from Clarksburg will be directed through West Sacramento to the north or via Highway 160 and the Paintersville Bridge to the south.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of traveler

Noun

Despite the different sunglass trends that are out there—tiny sunglasses, cat-eyes, wayfarers—aviators continue to remain Aniston’s favorite.

— Samantha Sutton, InStyle, 22 July 2026
In high school, my friends and I became subway wayfarers, traveling in search of great high-school games.

— Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026

Definition of wayfarer

Noun

Anyway, no longer satisfied with making sure that the theatrical trains run on time, Anna is a national parks vagabond, going from job to job, never laying down roots.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
His divorces ultimately left him scrambling for stability and turned him into a kind of moneyed vagabond, living out of suitcases.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 May 2026

Definition of vagabond

Browse Nearby Words

drifted

drifter

drifters

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Style

“Drifter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifter. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of drifter

noun

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