drab 1 of 2

Definition of drabnext
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest the new city hall promises to be another drab pile of masonry for the town

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drab

2 of 2

noun

as in prostitute
a woman who engages in sexual activities for money in its time, this waterfront dive was decried as a den of iniquity, unfit even for the drunks and drabs who haunted it

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drab
Adjective
Well, that can make even the most beautiful architecture and designer furniture look drab. Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 June 2026 Kevin Barnes’ 20th album is, once again, inspired by a breakup, but the drab music lacks the personality and vision of their best work. Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
Noun
As temperatures drop and autumn gives way to the seemingly ceaseless snows of winter, some animals in northerly climes exchange their pelage or plumage of summer drab for the purest white. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 The 6x9' is just out of reach at $558, but feels worth the splurge to take your outdoor space from drab to designer. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drab
Adjective
  • Far fewer people stay responsible when the work turns boring, unclear or inconvenient, and that's precisely when ownership surfaces.
    Somdutta Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Monocultures can be boring, but on the flipside, a huge collection of individual species looks like a busy bowl of potpourri.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • The slur, which literally means male prostitute in Spanish, could be heard at the Azteca stadium toward the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 June 2026
  • Pol learns the ropes alongside fellow stripper Noel (Daniel Fernando) and savvy prostitute Bambi (Jaclyn Jose), discovering an underbelly of protection rackets, human trafficking and rampant political corruption.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
Adjective
  • But all work and no play can make for a dull chief scientific officer.
    Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 July 2026
  • The great speculators became talkative and communicative or dull, sullen, silent, and peevish.
    Owen Lamont, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • This kind of inclusivity would explain Glenn Close‘s appearance — as a visiting literary scholar — at just the right moment, as well as Penélope Cruz’s showstopping cameo as Nené, a singer-slash-hooker who schools Sebastián on the then-nascent form of the modern transgender movement.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 May 2026
  • Bemis, sold by her family in China and sent to America, worked as a domestic, not as a hooker.
    Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The head coach was clumsy in his response, saying — in effect — that the player is better suited to being an impact substitute and taking advantage of tiring opposition defenders.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • The chassis exhibits little flex, the buttons feel crisp and responsive, and the scroll wheel offers enough resistance to feel deliberate without becoming tiring.
    Sascha Brodsky, PC Magazine, 21 June 2026
Adjective
  • All 182 guest rooms were given a fresh coat of dusty rose paint, new custom carpet, furniture and upgraded bathrooms.
    Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • At the same time, her eyes were free of the ultimate Millennial marker, winged liner, and colored with a melting pot of brown, bronze and dusty gray shadow, visible in her waterline, too.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • There was no repeat of the slow start that cost him a spot last season.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The house old-fashioned can be made with bourbon or gin and is a much slower sip.
    Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Adjective
  • And ever since, ships full of travelers, weary from long journeys, have passed through the narrows, the winds of the Atlantic at their backs.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026
  • As America turns 250, the semiquincentennial feels like a dud — a far cry from 1976’s bicentennial blowout, when pop culture and communal celebrations united a weary nation.
    Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drab. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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