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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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
Adjective
Some shades were too bright pink, while others were too drab. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026 Beth Lay is first, a gangly Plain Jane with drab hair, a gummy smile, and wire-rim glasses. — Joan Kron, Allure, 28 Sep. 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 emails, the birthday book, the address book—there's been a lot to keep track of, released in drips and drabs. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drab
Adjective
  • Infrastructure inspection is exactly the kind of boring but highly practical application that modern airships excel at, Grossman says.
    — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Milwaukee Brewers won what was, ultimately, a bit of a boring World Series in five games.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The last crime, a blackmail scheme that involved hiring a prostitute to seduce his sister’s husband, suggests a dubious approach to conflict management.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Brought to Spain, the Colombian prostitutes are required to work off a debt run up by not only the airfare but much more.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Like scoops of an ocean unmarred by humans, quarts of seaweed soup sit next to other flavors like spicy beef and pine nut and soybean, a shade of creamy beige so calming, one glance is enough to effectively absolve the color of its dull reputation.
    — Vanessa Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • If your skin's looking a little dull or feeling rough, the best alpha hydroxy acid products might be exactly what your routine is missing.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Depending on what the alleged hooker’s name was, maybe York was just trying to stay under the Valerie cap?
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Skipper and scrumhalf Lucu darted over after a strong run into contact from his hooker Lamothe and touched down on the half-hour to score France’s fourth try, securing a bonus competition point.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Adjective
  • Tommy Gemmell, advanced from left-back, provided the equaliser on 63 minutes and with Inter tiring and Celtic still pushing, Chalmers scored the famous winner with six minutes left.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But after a while, the lack of grounding gets tiring, as various supernatural shenanigans appear to be determined more by plot convenience than anything else.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The course of Alzheimer’s disease is slightly slower than that of Lewy body dementia, according to Vossel.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The team found that slower charging helped create more uniform, inorganic-rich protective layers, which are important for maintaining stable battery performance.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Finding the new forms The findings reveal that certain materials capable of transforming clean tech may have been sitting on dusty digital shelves since the 1970s.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, they will be anchored to the dusty desert floor — in Joshua Tree.
    — Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The political hardball and outside money have left some observers weary.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Voting reflected unease over Netanyahu’s alliance with the far-right and anger in a war-weary nation over military draft exemptions for the significant ultra-Orthodox Jewish population.
    — Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drab. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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