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
  • Let’s start with tracking Savu, where, because of the tiny tribes, the most obvious and boring thing ends up happening.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Smith is betting that in a market where every phone looks the same, the bigger risk is being boring.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 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 song develops into a slow-burn, lighters-up jam, its long, unhurried coda like getting lost in a sea of echoing, overlapping memories.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Protein and fiber slow digestion, supporting satiety and healthy blood sugar regulation.
    — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 22 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The state was apportioned a bare 300,000 acre-feet a year in 1928, when Las Vegas was merely a dusty outpost miles from the Hoover Dam construction site.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • On July 2, 2025, a burst with energy equivalent to 1,000 suns blazing for 10 billion years lit up Fermi’s detectors, heading from a dusty galaxy about eight billion light-years from Earth.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Sean Durzi scored 78 seconds in, Dylan Garand made 29 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the travel-weary Ducks 5-2 on Monday night to improve to 6-0-0 at home this fall.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Sean Durzi scored 78 seconds in, Dylan Garand made 29 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the travel-weary Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Monday night to improve to 6-0-0 at home this fall.
    — CBS New York Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drab. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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