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driven

/ˈdrɪvən/
adjectivepast participle★Intermediate
general

compelled or motivated by a strong force or emotion

He was driven by his desire to help others.

His strong desire to help others motivated him.

The team was driven by their competitive spirit.

Their competitive spirit strongly motivated the team.

💡

Often used to describe a person who is highly motivated or compelled by an internal or external force.

⚙️Engineering
technical

operated or powered by a specific mechanism or energy source

The car is driven by an electric motor.

The car is powered by an electric motor.

The machine is steam-driven.

The machine is powered by steam.

💡

Used in engineering and technology to describe the power source of a machine or vehicle.

Collocations

driven bymotivated or powered byself-drivenindependent and motivated by oneselfdriven tocompelled to do something

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

driven to distractionphrase
so preoccupied or annoyed that one cannot concentrate
driven outphrase
forced to leave a place

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

'Driven' is often used to describe someone who is highly motivated or compelled by a strong force, such as ambition or desire.

⚡Gold Rule

Adjective vs. Verb

Remember that 'driven' can function as both an adjective (describing motivation) and the past participle of the verb 'drive' (describing movement or operation).

📖Word Origin

From Middle English 'driven', past participle of 'drive', from Old English 'drīfan' (to drive).

📝Usage Notes

The word 'driven' can be used both as an adjective and as the past participle of the verb 'drive'. In its adjectival form, it often describes a strong motivation or compulsion.

Word Breakdown

drive
to propel or motivate
root
+
-en
past participle suffix
suffix
English Dictionary

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