Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

Adrift of or adrift in?

Adrift usually appears alone or with in. Adrift of is rare and mainly nautical.

Quick answer

How is adrift used?

Use adrift in for situations or environments: adrift in a strange city. Adrift of exists mainly in nautical language meaning away from or beyond something.

He felt adrift in the new environment.
The boat drifted adrift of the harbour entrance.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
adrift in + place/situation

Describing emotional or physical disorientation

Use in for environments, situations, or abstract settings.

She felt adrift in corporate life.
2
adrift at sea

Describing floating without control

Adrift often appears without another preposition in maritime contexts.

The sailors were adrift for two days.
3
adrift of + location

Using a nautical expression

This rare maritime use means floating away from a place or landmark.

The vessel was adrift of the coast.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
adrift in
He was adrift in an unfamiliar culture.
lost or without direction in a situation
adrift of
The ship lay adrift of the island.
rare nautical use meaning away from
adrift
The raft was adrift overnight.
floating freely or lacking direction
lost in
She felt lost in the city.
common alternative in everyday English

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using adrift of in everyday contexts

Adrift of sounds nautical and uncommon outside maritime language.

✕ I felt adrift of my new job. ✓ I felt adrift in my new job.

Adding unnecessary prepositions

Adrift often works alone.

✕ The boat was adrift in at sea. ✓ The boat was adrift at sea.

Confusing adrift and drift

Adrift is an adjective, while drift is usually a verb or noun.

✕ The passengers adrift in the storm. ✓ The passengers were adrift in the storm.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She felt adrift ___ university life.
2. The boat was adrift ___ the coast.
3. After the storm, the raft was ___.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is adrift of common in modern English?

No. It is rare and mostly limited to nautical language.

Can adrift be used metaphorically?

Yes. It often describes emotional uncertainty or lack of direction.

Do I always need a preposition after adrift?

No. Adrift frequently appears without one.

abhorrent-to-in-for-of, about "ablaze with" or "ablaze in"? "able for" or "able in"? "abreast of" or "abreast with"? "absent from" or "absent in"? absolute in, for, of, to or as? "absurd to", "absurd in" or "absurd for"? abundant in, with, of, on or for? "abusive to", "abusive in" or "abusive towards"? "academic in" or "academic at"? "acceptable to" or "acceptable for"? accessible to, by, for, from or in?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account