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drive

/dɹaɪv/
verbnoun

DRIVE meaning: sustained effort toward a goal; DRIVE scores 9 Scrabble points and is a Wordle answer.

NWL Collins ENABLE Wordle answer list

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To operate a vehicle:

    “The bridges weren't strong enough to drive (campers) over.”

  2. To compel to move:

    “to drive twenty thousand head of cattle from Texas to the Kansas railheads; to drive sheep out of a field”

  3. To cause to move by the application of physical force:

    “You drive nails into wood with any hammer; it's not as strenuous as driving a tunnel through the rock.”

  4. To displace either physically or non-physically, through the application of force.

Noun 4 meanings

  1. Planned, usually long-lasting, effort to achieve something; ability coupled with ambition, determination, and motivation.

    “Crassus had wealth and wit, but Pompey had drive and Caesar as much again.”

  2. Violent or rapid motion; a rushing onward or away; (especially) a forced or hurried dispatch of business.

  3. An act of driving (prompting) animals forward.

  4. A sustained advance in the face of the enemy to take an objective.

    “Napoleon's drive on Moscow was as determined as it was disastrous.”

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English driven, from Old English drīfan (“to drive, force, move”), from Proto-West Germanic *drīban, from Proto-Germanic *drībaną (“to drive”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- (“to drive, push”).

Similar and opposite words

Similar
ridemotorvatetakedrovegoadherdflushforce
Opposite
inertialazinessphlegmsloth

Drive is an everyday noun for sustained effort, marked common with a frequency rank of 730, but its definition reaches beyond ambition. It can name rapid or forced movement, and a separate sense describes urging animals forward. That range matters in word games: DRIVE is a familiar answer with three anagrams and three one-letter neighbours.

DRIVE at a glance

  • DRIVE has five letters and a base Scrabble value of 9 points.
  • D contributes 2 points; R, I and E each contribute 1; V contributes 4.
  • DRIVE is both a Wordle answer and an allowed guess.
  • Its three anagrams are DIVER, RIVED and VIRED; its neighbours are DROVE, DRAVE and DRICE.

DRIVE meaning and its everyday sense

The most familiar meaning is determined effort sustained over time to reach a goal. Drive can describe the motivation behind a project, or a person's ambition and persistence. In that sense, it is more than a brief burst of energy: the word points to effort that keeps moving toward an outcome.

Drive also names rapid or forceful motion, including a hurried dispatch of business. A less common definition is the act of prompting animals forward. Those meanings share a sense of forward movement, but only the first describes personal ambition.

How many points is DRIVE worth in Scrabble?

DRIVE is worth 9 points before any board bonuses: D is worth 2, V is worth 4, and R, I and E are worth 1 apiece. The V supplies nearly half the base total, so a letter premium on that tile changes the score more than one on any of the other letters. Word multipliers can raise the final play further.

DRIVE is also both an allowed Wordle guess and an answer. Its letter order gives you D, R, I, V and E in fixed positions, but that fact alone does not make it a strong opening guess: it spends a guess on a known answer rather than testing a broad mix of letters.

The three one-letter neighbours are DROVE, DRAVE and DRICE. They differ from DRIVE by just one letter, which makes them useful candidates when a puzzle has confirmed most of the pattern. For Scrabble, check your game's word list; a score calculation does not by itself confirm acceptance.

Rhymes with drive

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Questions people ask

What are the anagrams of DRIVE?
DRIVE has three anagrams: DIVER, RIVED and VIRED. DIVER is the most familiar everyday word in that group; RIVED and VIRED are less common forms. Keep the exact letters in mind when rearranging them: each option uses D, E, I, R and V once.
What does DRIVE score in Scrabble?
DRIVE scores 9 points before board bonuses. The D is worth 2, the V is worth 4, and R, I and E are worth 1 each. A letter or word premium can change the score of a particular play.
Is DRIVE a Wordle answer?
Yes. DRIVE is recorded as both a Wordle answer and an allowed guess. Its common everyday meaning is sustained effort toward a goal, though the word can also refer to forceful motion or urging animals forward.

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