drive
Translation
to drive, to motivate, to operate
Examples
I drive to work every day.
I drive to work every day.
His ambition drives him to succeed.
His ambition drives him to succeed.
She drove the nail into the wood.
She drove the nail into the wood.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to operate (a vehicle) I drive my car to work.
((sb.)) ((to-inf)) to motivate (sb.) to do (sth.) Ambition drives him to work hard.
((sth.)) ((into sth.)) to force (sth.) into (sth.) He drove a nail into the wall.
Similar Words
Synonyms: operate, steer, motivate; Antonyms: stop, halt
Etymology
From Old English 'drīfan', meaning 'to compel, to move'. It evokes the image of forcing something or someone forward.
Memory Tips
Picture yourself 'driving' a car, the most common meaning. The force used to move the car forward is like the force that 'drives' ambition.