adrift

Adrift is an adjective meaning drifting with no fixed course or anchor; not under control. It applies to floating objects such as boats or debris, and is also used metaphorically to describe a person or group lacking direction or purpose.

In nautical contexts, a vessel is adrift when it is not powered or moored and is carried by currents or winds. Causes include engine failure, loss of anchor, or severe weather. Being adrift can present navigation hazards and may require assistance or towing.

Etymology: from the Middle English phrase "at drift," with drift meaning movement by wind or current. The form adrift dates to early modern English and has since broadened to figurative uses.

Cultural usage: The term appears in literature, film, and music to convey uncertainty, dislocation, or lack of direction. Memoirs, novels, and films with the title Adrift explore figures who are physically or emotionally adrift.

See also: unmoored; unanchored; drift.