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Adrift vs Astray - What's the difference?

adrift | astray |

As adverbs the difference between adrift and astray

is that adrift is in a drifting condition; at the mercy of wind and waves while astray is in a wrong or unknown and wrongly-motivated direction.

As an adjective adrift

is floating at random.

adrift

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Floating at random.
    • So on the sea shall be set adrift . --Dryden.
  • (of a seaman) Absent from his watch.
  • Behind one's opponents, or below a required threshold in terms of score, number or position.
  • *
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  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2014 , date=December 21 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Liverpool 2 - 2 Arsenal , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Brendan Rodgers's team moved into the top 10 in the Premier League table, but they are nine points adrift of West Ham in fourth place, while Arsenal are sixth.}}

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a drifting condition; at the mercy of wind and waves.

    • Related terms

    * cast adrift

    astray

    English

    Adverb

  • In a wrong or unknown and wrongly-motivated direction.

    • Derived terms

    * lead astray

    Related terms

    * stray * estray

    External links

    * *

    References