get the drift

verb

To understand, at least on some basic or general level.

“I don't really read French, but I can often guess enough to get the drift.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbget the drift (third-person singular simple present gets the drift, present participle getting the drift, simple past got the drift, past participle (UK) got the drift or (US) gotten the drift)

present singular third person gets the drift · participle present getting the drift · past got the drift · UK participle past got the drift · US participle past gotten the drift

  1. idiomaticTo understand, at least on some basic or general level.

    I don't really read French, but I can often guess enough to get the drift.

    1 more example

    By now you're probably starting to get my drift that cutting costs in today's rail industry is not going to be either easy or pain-free.

    2022 January 12, Sir Michael Holden, “Reform of the workforce or death by a thousand cuts?”, in RAIL, number 948, page 24

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with get the drift

giftfifthliftswiftdriftthriftriftsiftadriftcliftmiffedshriftskiftniftgriftregiftshort shriftsniftsquiffedyift
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

get the drift. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20the%20drift

MLA

“get the drift.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20the%20drift. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “get the drift,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20the%20drift.

Source: get the drift on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.