drabbed; drabbing
: to associate with prostitutes
a waster, an idler; drinking and drabbing—
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley1
textiles
: any of various cloths of a dull brown or gray color
dressed in drabs
2
a
: a light olive brown
b
: a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality
drabber; drabbest
1
a
: of the dull brown color of drab (see drab entry 3 sense 1)
b
: of a light olive brown color : of the color drab (see drab entry 3 sense 2a)
drably
adverb
drabness
noun
: a small amount
—usually used in the phrase dribs and drabs
receiving donations in dribs and drabs
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Adjective
Examples of drab in a Sentence
Noun (1)
in its time, this waterfront dive was decried as a den of iniquity, unfit even for the drunks and drabs who haunted it
Adjective
He lives a drab life.
the new city hall promises to be another drab pile of masonry for the town
Recent Examples on the WebEmma Frasier, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024
The place is hopping, with Portia complaining to Pen about the drab decor yet gushing about it to Colin and Benedict introducing Tilley to Kate.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 13 June 2024
Amid the drab parkas and pullovers was a figure in a striking red coat: Natalie Fleet, the Labour Party’s candidate for Parliament, wearing her party’s campaign color.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 12 June 2024
In a drab apartment, my colleagues and I strained to understand what local residents thought about candidates running in a by-election for the Russian parliament.
—Sarah E. Mendelson, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2014
See all Example Sentences for drab 
Adjective
First, Mary sends an unrefined George, wearing drab brown, to France in 1612 to learn how to be a gentleman.
—Emma Frasier, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024
The place is hopping, with Portia complaining to Pen about the drab decor yet gushing about it to Colin and Benedict introducing Tilley to Kate.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 13 June 2024
Amid the drab parkas and pullovers was a figure in a striking red coat: Natalie Fleet, the Labour Party’s candidate for Parliament, wearing her party’s campaign color.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 12 June 2024
In a drab apartment, my colleagues and I strained to understand what local residents thought about candidates running in a by-election for the Russian parliament.
—Sarah E. Mendelson, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2014
See all Example Sentences for drab
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to drab
Dictionary Entries Near drab
Cite this Entry
“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drab. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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