What does "driving" mean?
The action of the verb to drive in any sense.
Driving
/ˈdɹaɪvɪŋ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The action of the verb to drive in any sense.
- Grammar: driving is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: drive, accelerating force, acid, action.
- Useful contrasts: calm, demotivation, deter.
- Usage evidence: You cannot be too careful when driving.
How to use "driving"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "driving" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "driving" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "driving" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "driving" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "driving" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "drive" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "driving", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The action of the verb to drive in any sense. countable, uncountable
"[…] with all its drivings of cattle and all its tithe battles, and all the killings and maimings consequent upon those battles, […]"
- 2 the act of controlling and steering the movement of a vehicle or animal wordnet
- 3 In particular, the action of operating a motor vehicle. countable, uncountable
"There had been the whisky and Perrier in the morning but, in my ignorance of alcoholics then, I could not imagine one whisky harming anyone who was driving in an open car in the rain."
- 4 hitting a golf ball off of a tee with a driver wordnet
- 5 The act of driving the ball; hitting the ball a long distance, especially from the tee to the putting green. countable, uncountable
"Heigh-ho! Sing heigh-ho! my Golf is most shocking; My driving is topping, my caddie's still mocking."
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of drive form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 That drives (a mechanism or process).
"But the dull, cool, calculating effect given cumulatively through Stalin’s long career, the air of a great glacier moving slowly and by the easiest path to overwhelm some Alpine valley, is only part of the picture. At various times - and especially in his early career - the calm of his general manner was broken, and expression given to the driving emotions that possessed him."
- 2 That drives forcefully; strong; forceful; violent (of wind, rain, etc)
Adjective
- 1 having the power of driving or impelling wordnet
- 2 acting with vigor wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"You cannot be too careful when driving."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "driving"?
Common synonyms include: drive, accelerating force, acid, action, active, actuating.
How do you use "driving" in a sentence?
You cannot be too careful when driving.
How do you pronounce "driving"?
Pronounced /ˈdɹaɪvɪŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English dryvyng, drivende, from Old English drīfende, from Proto-Germanic *drībandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *drībaną (“to drive”), equivalent to drive + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian drieuwend, West Frisian driuwend, Dutch drijvend, German Low German drievend, German treibend, Swedish drivande.
Etymology 2
From Middle English driving, drivinge, equivalent to drive + -ing. Compare Dutch drijving, German Treibung.