drive somebody to the limit of their patience.

[hhtt21]

Is "drive to the limit of patience" an idiom? If it is an idiom this means drive does not fit with single definitions.

Example: "Toddy Beamish disagreed with everthing that Fotheringay said, and drove him to the limit of his patience."

http://www.tingroom.com/print_137280.html

Thank you.

 

[GoesStation]

You could replace "drove" with pushed.

 

[hhtt21]

It's in lne with definitions of the verb I found in several dictionaries at www.onelook.com.

What's lne? When I write drive patience in www.onelook.com it turns nothing.

Thank you.

 

[hhtt21]

You caught me before I noticed my typo.

It's not important but how did you find that phrase in onelook? I am stuck.

Thank you.

 

[hhtt21]

I did not look for 'drive patience' at www.onelook.com. I looked up 'drive' in two or three dictionaries there and found definitions that fitted the use f the verb in your original sentence.

The verb drive has a number of different meanings. I cannot distinguish between them. Would you give the link with the number of definition which fits with drive used above as you did in your previous posts.

Thank you.

 

[hhtt21]

No.

It's about time you started to make an effort to work out which definition(s) applied to the words in sentences you post here.

1. Attempt: It might be transitive one. It belongs to one of variations of 5 but I cannot determine which one here.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drive

2. Attempt: It might be second meaning of 4.

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/drive

with object and infinitive ‘some people are driven to murder their tormentors’ ‘my husband is a driven man’

4.1 is also very close in Oxford

Bring (someone) forcibly into a specified negative state. ‘the thought drove him to despair’

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/drive

3. Attempt: 14 and 15 very close

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/drive

14.To drive someone into a particular state or situation means to force them into that state or situation. The recession and hospital bills drove them into bankruptcy. He nearly drove Elsie mad with his fussing.

15.The desire or feeling that drives a person to do something, especially something extreme, is the desire or feeling that causes them to do it.
More than once, depression drove him to attempt suicide. Jealousy drives people to murder.


...people who are driven by guilt, resentment and anxiety. ...a man driven by a pathological need to win.

But I cannot be sure a lot. I need natives' guidance.

Thank you.

 

[hhtt21]

You have clearly found the right range of definitions. What more do you want?

I would like to do a point shot in those ranges or I would like to diminish the range.

Thank you.

 

[andrewg927]

It would be a mistake trying to find one exact definition of "drive" for your sentence because each dictionary offers slightly different definitions. You need to be able to understand the concept behind those slightly differing definitions.