drabber; drabbest
2
a
: of a light olive brown color : of the color drab (see drab entry 2 sense 1a)
b
: of the dull brown color of drab (see drab entry 2 sense 2)
drably
adverb
drabness
noun
1
a
: a light olive brown
b
: a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality
2
textiles
: any of various cloths of a dull brown or gray color
dressed in drabs
: a small amount
—usually used in the phrase dribs and drabs
receiving donations in dribs and drabs
plural drabs
1
: slattern
2
: a woman who engages in sex acts and especially sexual intercourse in exchange for pay : a woman who is a sex worker
drabbed; drabbing; drabs
: to associate with sex workers
… a waster, an idler; drinking and drabbing …—
Aldous Huxley
Aldous HuxleySynonyms
Examples of drab in a Sentence
Adjective
He lives a drab life.
the new city hall promises to be another drab pile of masonry for the town
Noun (3)
in its time, this waterfront dive was decried as a den of iniquity, unfit even for the drunks and drabs who haunted it
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
After centuries of weathering and exposure, the colors seen in historical homes today can appear muted and buttoned-up, even drab.
—Cornelia Powers, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 13 Oct. 2024
Members of the first team squad appear back at the training facilities in drips and drabs, some nursing jet lag from globetrotting flights around the world.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drab 
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Adjective
On the snowy sidewalk of a drab residential street in Moscow, blood, soot and the mangled remnants of an electric scooter marked the spot where a top Russian general was assassinated — and signaled a potentially dangerous new phase of the war in Ukraine.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
After centuries of weathering and exposure, the colors seen in historical homes today can appear muted and buttoned-up, even drab.
—Cornelia Powers, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
With each live set and song released, drips and drabs of many sonic inspirations reveal themselves to the world's ears.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 13 Oct. 2024
Members of the first team squad appear back at the training facilities in drips and drabs, some nursing jet lag from globetrotting flights around the world.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drab
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Dictionary Entries Near drab
Cite this Entry
“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drab. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
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