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 HuxleyExamples 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
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025
The living room, encased in dark mahogany panelling, looked onto a drab alleyway filled with trash bins, and the apartment’s two floors were connected by a narrow spiral staircase that risked putting parents in mind of a broken neck.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for drab
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Adjective
Forcing is an easy way to add bright color to your home in drab winter weather.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025
The living room, encased in dark mahogany panelling, looked onto a drab alleyway filled with trash bins, and the apartment’s two floors were connected by a narrow spiral staircase that risked putting parents in mind of a broken neck.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
The 6x9' is just out of reach at $558, but feels worth the splurge to take your outdoor space from drab to designer.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for drab
Cite this Entry
“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drab. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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