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

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
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
  • If your summer wardrobe is feeling a bit boring or outdated, don’t fret — Amazon just added tons of new styles to its sale section, and my top picks are all going for $10 or less.
    Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
  • Finally, the institution must be financially boring.
    Christos Korgan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • Since 1971, Robert Hansen, an unassuming 44-year-old Anchorage bakery owner and married father of two, had been abducting dancers and prostitutes, flying them to the backcountry on his Piper Super Cub plane and then releasing them and—armed with a gun and hunting knife—stalking them like wild prey.
    Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Adjective
  • And that would be a very dull experience.
    Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
  • And red decorations in urban bowers were more vivid, and the green items duller, than in rural bowers.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 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
  • 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
  • Driving becomes less stressful, less tiring, less soul-destroying.
    Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Adjective
  • If that bottle hiding in the back of your bar cart is dusty and doesn't taste the same, buy a fresh one.
    Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
  • The shoes also come in a range of standout colorways, including an electric orange-and-blue combo and an off-white-and-dusty-gray pair.
    Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Adjective
  • Recovery of the bodies has been slow because of the chemicals and other hazards present at the site, Amos explained.
    Adam England, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
  • One of the most painful things about this disease is knowing that promising treatments are emerging, but funding barriers and manufacturing and procedural slow-downs continue to derail progress.
    Elise Esposito, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026
Adjective
  • Friday afternoon — as lines of weary travelers stretched from Amtrak’s customer service desk — dozens of Amtrak workers, clad in hard-hats and high-viz vests, could be seen from the western end of Platform 6.
    Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 29 May 2026
  • While Jack wants to sit in the pain of losing his best friend, Kate is weary from the weight of his emotions and desperate to find some levity again.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 28 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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