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

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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
In 2019, a a drab office space with sickly yellow wallpaper, photographed from an askew angle, was shared anonymously on 4chan. Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 11 June 2026 Now’s an excellent time to find deep discounts on investment pieces like a stylish new sectional, an outdoor furniture set for your next BBQ, or something to spruce up your drab home office. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 3 July 2026
Noun
Hailing from the Cayman Islands, Cover learned to skate in two-week drips and drabs while visiting family in the Greater Toronto Area over the years. Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 June 2026 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
  • 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 90 minutes or more will be highly physical and tiring, and only one will remain standing at the end.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • 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
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 8 Jul. 2026.

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