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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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
The meeting was in a drab room in a church. Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025 But, of course, designers are people who care deeply about color, texture, and aesthetics writ large, so drab interiors would never do. Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2025
Noun
The Midi Dress Midi dresses are the opposite of drab at the moment. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 18 Mar. 2025 Early mammals were small, strictly nocturnal, and altogether less showy–verging on downright drab, as supported by a study published March 13 in the journal Science. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drab
Adjective
  • Yes, the rich women went to Sedona on Sutton’s private plane, but before that there were a few scenes back in boring old Los Angeles.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Disease prevention should be boring, routine, expected, and easy to access.
    Uché Blackstock, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The following year, he was suspended from baseball and sentenced to probation after pleading no contest to charges of cocaine possession and soliciting a prostitute.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
  • During that time, Wuornos was working as a prostitute to support both herself and her girlfriend, Tyria Moore.
    Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert finds Brooklinen’s prints a good midway point between something too chintzy or something too dull, and thinks highly of the material as well.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The fiber’s irregular length distribution—with 50 percent at 28 millimeters and 50 percent in the 10 to 20 millimeter range—delivers a textured, semi-dull and opaque aesthetic that achieves a genuine, vintage washdown performance.
    SJ Studio, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Three other Scottish squad reinforcements -- lock Gregor Brown, hooker Ewan Ashman and prop Rory Sutherland -- were named on the bench.
    Nick Mulvenney, Reuters, 21 July 2025
  • Strip clubs, booze, hookers, blow, the whole nine yards.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • When Jensen was tiring of running her own business, her little brother did her the same favor of helping her land a job with the cannabis dispensary From The Earth at their Brookside location, where she was quickly hired and loved by her coworkers.
    PJ Green January 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Although Richardson has only appeared in 25 of the 36 contests so far in his rookie campaign, the near first-half of his first year as a professional has been tiring for the 20-year-old who’s continued to adjust to his new life in Orlando.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • People pour in from the dense warrens of India’s financial capital and from dusty villages thousands of kilometers away, all flowing towards the fortified, sea-facing Mumbai home of actor Shah Rukh Khan.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Workers are startled when a jar tumbles out of a dusty box and rolls onto the ground.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
  • When visiting the exhibit, plan on taking your time to make the most of it, or what the American Federation of Arts calls slow looking.
    Susan B. Barnes, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The show is a humorous, achingly accurate portrayal of two weary immigrant women who’ve seen the shiny promise of a better life wear off quick.
    Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Nevertheless, most inflation-weary Americans are upset with the economy because the cumulative effect of higher prices have been wreaking havoc on the economy for the past five years – not because of tariffs, specifically.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drab. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on drab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!