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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Wondering how to take a small closet from drab to fab in no time?
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
Natalie Bennett, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2025
The Kennedy assassination still features many unknowns, and information is still being released about it in drips and drabs—previewing, perhaps, the future of disclosure around the Epstein case.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drab
Adjective
Lee’s mad dash was the rarest of quetzal feathers in an otherwise drab capper to the four-game series.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Wondering how to take a small closet from drab to fab in no time?
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
Noun
Courtesy Mya Mendola Nevertheless, transformation videos are all over TikTok, showing drab, undecorated freshman dorms elevated into luxurious oases.
—Natalie Bennett, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2025
The Kennedy assassination still features many unknowns, and information is still being released about it in drips and drabs—previewing, perhaps, the future of disclosure around the Epstein case.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drab
Adjective
-
Swapping any boring sweater with this one will instantly upgrade your travel wardrobe (without much effort at all).—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
-
He was meant to only be the stick-in-the-mud boring guy.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Under colonial rule hijras were accused of acting as male prostitutes and of kidnapping and castrating children to grow their community.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Curacao home kit is quite dull and is a slightly weird colour, but this is almost perfect.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Unfortunately, hyaluronic acid decreases with age, which can contribute to a loss of plumpness, fine lines, and an overall duller complexion.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
10 June 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 longtime Florida coach swapped a tiring McDonald for Russell Sandefer with one out in the top of the sixth inning.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 June 2026
-
By combining both the heated air flow of a blow dryer and a round brush in a single tool, this product is much simpler and less tiring to use than working with a separate hair dryer and round brush.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
SpaceX's headquarters in Starbase, Texas, which sits at the state's southern tip in the Rio Grande Valley, emerges almost unexpectedly after miles of long, dusty dirt roads.—
Maya Blackstone,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
The nose on my sample kicked off with some dusty funk, espresso, and dark chocolate.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Dems slow to embrace data center resistance McMillan Cottom suggested that no public officials on the right or the left have perfected their messaging to align with anti-data center sentiments.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
-
Eating a donut earlier in the day is easier on your body than eating it at night when insulin sensitivity and metabolism slow.—
Brandi Jones,
Verywell Health,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
In tax-weary Santa Clara County, San Jose leaders pushed for the ballot measure to shift the financial burden to visitors by increasing the city’s transient occupancy tax, levied on hotel and short-term rental guests, from 10% to 12%.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
His athleticism and vision will benefit Canada when opposition defenders grow weary late in games.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drab. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
