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Synonyms

driving

American  
[drahy-ving] / ˈdraɪ vɪŋ /

adjective

  1. demanding a high or unreasonable rate of work from subordinates.

  2. vigorously active; energetic.

    a driving young executive.

  3. having force and violence.

    a driving storm.

  4. relaying or transmitting power.

  5. used while operating a vehicle.

    driving gloves.
driving British  
/ ˈdraɪvɪŋ /

adjective

  1. having or moving with force and violence

    driving rain

  2. forceful or energetic

  3. relating to the controlling of a motor vehicle in motion

    driving test
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • drivingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of driving

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; drive + -ing 2

Vocabulary lists containing driving

Unit 2, Week 3

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Any other names or senders you want me to check for while you're driving?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

At the company level, “I think it’s driving people to not want to fall behind even though they don’t know how far behind they are,” Weedbrook said.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The court heard PC Brealey was driving a police BMW when he saw the Mercedes parked in the garage.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

And finally, this summer’s World Cup could help boost consumption, while driving some consumer prices higher.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

We enter through one of the ancient walled gates into the old city, driving slowly through the bumpy cobblestoned streets and narrow alleys.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.