Cast/set somebody adrift Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Literal Meaning Used in a literal sense when someone or something is left floating without guidance. The damaged boat was cast adrift by the storm. Pro Tip 2/3Figurative Use Often used metaphorically to describe being without direction in life or a project. When the leader left, the team felt cast adrift. Pro Tip 3/3Isolation Feeling Can convey a sense of loneliness or being abandoned in various situations. Without my phone, I felt cast adrift in the city.