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to drive

to drive

3.6
To cause someone to want to do something strongly
  • verb
  • /draɪv/
translation icon : impulsar
  • Entrepreneurial energy in America's tech sector drove the most visible reinvention of the economy.
  • drive decisions
  • drive change
  • drive demand

What is the evidence that drives you to feel that way?

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Examples

  • What are the factors that really drive these measurable successes?

  • Harmful government subsidies are widely recognized as a major factor driving the generation of overcapacity.

    Academic text (2017)
  • So what are other ways to drive this toward products?

  • That you have to be able to drive that belief.

  • How do you stay hungry enough to drive forward as hard as you do?

  • What is the evidence that drives you to feel that way?

  • Quality and performance improvement initiatives are driving significant changes in the United States healthcare system.

    Academic text (2013)
  • What characteristics or circumstances drive the choice to use an e-book versus print?

    Academic text (2015)
  • Her passion for social justice drives her to work tirelessly for change.

  • The need for clean energy drives many scientists to innovate new technologies.

Synonyms

to force
vsto drive
2.3

To make someone do something by using power or pressure

is comparable but also covers strong urging without direct coercion
to push
vsto drive
958 1.1

To urge someone to do something or try harder

is more forceful, implying compelling internal motive to change state
to inspire
vsto drive
837 3.2

Cause someone to feel excited and ready to act

is more forceful, stressing compulsion rather than emotion alone
to urge
vsto drive
591 3.2

To strongly encourage someone to do something

is more forceful, combining deep compulsion with causing change
to motivate
vsto drive
437 3.5

Make someone want to do something

is stronger, implying firm internal compulsion to cause action
to press
vsto drive
285 3.9

Ask someone firmly and repeatedly to do something

is broader, including internal compulsion beyond external persistence
to guide
vsto drive
255 2.7

To influence someone's choices or actions toward a goal

is stronger, involving compelling or forceful motivation rather than guidance
to pressure
vsto drive
149 4.2

To try to make someone do something

is similar but stresses inner compulsion and decisive causing of change
to spur
vsto drive
81 4.1

To encourage someone to take action or try harder

is stronger, implying compelling or forceful urging for action
to induce
vsto drive
51 4.9

Persuade someone to do something

is stronger, implying compelling pressure rather than mere persuasion
to propel
vsto drive
45 4.7

To make someone want to do something

is broader, covering intense compulsion beyond offering incentives
to galvanize
vsto drive
39 6.7

To make people feel shocked and excited so they act

is broader, focusing on sustained compelling motivation not only shock
to nudge
vsto drive
24 4.1

To gently encourage someone to try something new

is stronger, involving firm compulsion or decisive urging instead
to exhort
vsto drive
  • Formal
16 7.7

To strongly encourage someone to do something

is wider, implying compulsion or internal pressure beyond appeals
to cajole
vsto drive
15 7.7

To persuade someone to do something by gentle talk and praise

is stronger and more forceful, not relying on soft persuasion
to prod
vsto drive
8 3.6

To push someone a little to make them start doing something

is stronger, implying firm compulsion rather than gentle prompting
to impel
vsto drive
4 7.2

To make someone feel they must do something, often because of pressure or need

is broader, covering steady internal motivation as well as urgency
to bring pressure to bear
vsto drive
  • Formal
1 6.0

To use influence to persuade someone to do something

is closer to inner compulsion and motivating force rather than tactics
to jawbone
vsto drive
  • Literature
1 7.9

Talk strongly to someone to try to persuade them

is more about inner compulsion and broad causing of change
to actuate
vsto drive
7.0

To make someone act because of a feeling or reason

is more about strong personal compulsion and urgent urging
4.7

Help a person or company reach success

is more general, covering compelling motivation beyond success only

To help a project make progress by leading and taking action

is the general idea of compelling action, not limited to projects
to propulse
vsto drive
8.3

To push someone or something forward into a new situation

is less physical and more about intense motivational compulsion

Antonyms

257 3.5

To try to stop something by making people less willing to do it

35 6.0

To try to stop someone from doing something by talking to them

Idioms

158 3.2

Make someone very annoyed or upset

To cause people to argue or become divided on purpose

Leave a place happily at the end of a story or event

To find big holes in a law or plan and use them

To end something completely so it cannot continue

9.9

To drive in a very dangerous way that puts other people at risk

6.0

To make a car go very fast and in a dangerous way

Phrasal Verbs

271 3.9

Make someone very annoyed or upset

87 4.0

Force someone or something to leave using threats

71 3.4

To force a person, animal, or feeling to go away

70 3.8

Force someone or something to leave a place

70 3.1

To go to a place in a vehicle and stop near it

To drive a car without a fixed destination to relax

39 3.9

To make prices rise to a higher level, often quickly

To take someone in a vehicle to show them interesting places

30 2.5

To arrive at a place by car

27 4.0

To make a point very clear by saying it strongly

19 4.1

Force someone or something to move away from danger

to drive in
  • Jargon
12 4.9

In baseball, to hit the ball so a player scores

to drive at
  • Informal
9 6.5

Try to suggest something without saying it clearly when speaking or writing

To take a car for a short ride to check how it feels and works

7 4.0

To push a nail, screw, or bolt into a surface using a tool

To try a product or service for a short time to see if you like it

To reduce expenses in a company or organization

2 2.5

To operate a large truck as a job

To remove wasted effort and slow processes from a company or system

To help a project make progress by leading and taking action

to let drive
  • Archaic
8.2

To shoot something from a gun or bow

Compounds

hard drive
  • Specialized
106 2.8

A device inside a computer that stores files and lets you open them

39 3.7

Place where people stay in their cars to eat or watch a movie

37 2.5

A car trip that takes a long time

sex drive
  • NSFW
25 4.2

A natural desire to have sex

23 2.5

A place, like a restaurant or bank, where you buy things without leaving your car

22 2.7

A short ride in a car to see how it feels and works

19 5.9

A gun attack from a moving car that hits people outside

16 7.9

A quick, friendly praise given to someone in passing

four-wheel drive
  • Specialized
16 3.4

A system that powers all four wheels for better grip on rough or slippery ground

12 4.2

A hard hit in baseball that flies straight and low

disk drive
  • Specialized
6 3.5

A device in a computer that holds and spins a disk to read or write data

4 6.3

A trip moving a large group of cows, often on horseback, over long distances

CD-ROM drive
  • Archaic
2 3.7

A device in or connected to a computer that reads data from CDs

A device you connect to a computer by cable to save files

tape drive
  • Specialized
1 5.2

A machine that reads and writes data on magnetic tape to save copies of files

internal drive
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A device inside a computer that stores files, like a hard drive or solid-state drive

1 2.7

A part of a computer or music player that reads CDs

1 2.8

A regular car trip to and from work each day

drive-by killing
  • Offensive
1 8.5

An act of shooting someone to death from a moving car

A planned event to collect money for a cause

1 7.4

A hard, straight hit into the outfield that lets the batter reach second base

1 6.6

A base hit made by hitting the ball hard so the batter reaches first base

drive line
  • Specialized
7.1

Parts that send power from the engine to the wheels that move the car

drive line system
  • Specialized
6.0

A vehicle system that sends engine power to the driving wheels

drive-by event
  • Neologism
4.6

A gathering where people stay in their cars and take part briefly

drive-by media
  • Literature
9.1

News outlets that give quick, shallow reports and often miss important facts

automatic drive
  • Specialized
3.2

A car system that changes gears by itself based on speed

automatic drive
  • Specialized
4.1

A mode in which a car moves, steers, and brakes using sensors and software

A hard straight shot hit with the racket across the body in tennis

fluid drive
  • Archaic
7.8

A device that uses fluid to connect an engine to the drive shaft smoothly

A hard straight shot hit from the side you hold the racket, used in tennis or badminton

5.3

A hard low hit in baseball that lets the batter reach third base

fusee drive
  • Archaic
9.9

A cone-shaped part in old clocks that keeps spring power steady as it unwinds

4.6

A car you rent and drive yourself

8.9

A car you rent and drive yourself for a short time

whist drive
  • Archaic
9.8

A social event where people play whist in rounds, often to raise money

7.5

A hard disk with a sealed case used in older computers to store data

How Strongly

to force
2.3
to drive
3.6
to motivate
437 3.5
to encourage
2.3
to suggest
1.6

Surface Forms

drive infinitive
driving present participle
drives third person singular
drove past
driven past participle

Etymology

Drive comes from Old English drīfan 'to push', so to drive someone to act is to 'push' them strongly toward a choice or behaviour.