Drift away means to move slowly away, carried by water or wind, with no effort from anyone. About people, it means to gradually become distant: from friends, from a hobby, from a conversation. The key feature is that it all happens by itself, quietly and unnoticed.
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drift away (from + place); drift away from + person/hobby; the crowd drifted away
- We forgot to tie the canoe, and it slowly drifted away down the river.
- After I moved to another city, I drifted away from my school friends.
- When the rain started, the crowd at the concert slowly drifted away.
What changed
First versionWe forgot to tie the boat, and it swam away from the shore.
RevisionWe forgot to tie the boat, and it drifted away from the shore.
Swim means to move through water by your own effort: people, fish and ducks swim. An object carried away by water or wind drifts away. A boat with nobody in it can't swim.
Drift apart is about two people who gradually become strangers: My best friend and I drifted apart after university. Drift away from is used when one person moves away: He drifted away from the band. Drift off means to fall asleep: I drifted off during the film.
Your turn
The wind was strong, and the empty boat slowly ___ from the beach.
Show the answer
drifted away — The boat is empty, and the wind is carrying it off: drifted away. Swam away means someone swam off under their own power, which is said about a person or animal, not a boat.
Describe a friend or hobby you gradually drifted away from. Say when it started and why.
I drifted away from playing the guitar in my second year at university because I had no free evenings.
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