drab

¹

[ drab ]

adjective

, drab·ber, drab·best.

1. dull; cheerless; lacking in spirit, brightness, etc.
2. having the color drab.

noun

1. dull gray; dull brownish or yellowish gray.
2. any of several fabrics of this color, especially of thick wool or cotton.

drab

²

[ drab ]

noun

, Archaic.

1. a dirty, untidy woman; slattern.
2. a prostitute.

verb (used without object)

, drabbed, drab·bing.

1. to associate with drabs.

drab

¹

/ dræb /

adjective

1. dull; dingy; shabby
2. cheerless; dreary

   a drab evening

3. of the colour drab

noun

1. a light olive-brown colour
2. a fabric of a dull grey or brown colour

drab

²

/ dræb /

noun

1. a slatternly woman
2. a whore

verb

1. intr to consort with prostitutes

Derived Forms

• ˈdrabness, noun
• ˈdrably, adverb

Other Words From

• drably adverb
• drabness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of drab¹

1535–45; < Middle French drap < Late Latin drappus piece of cloth

Origin of drab²

First recorded in 1505–15; perhaps akin to Dutch drab “dregs, lees,” obsolete Dutch drablen “to run or tramp about”; drabble, draff

Word History and Origins

Origin of drab¹

C16: from Old French drap cloth, from Late Latin drappus, perhaps of Celtic origin

Origin of drab²

C16: of Celtic origin; compare Scottish Gaelic drabag

Idioms and Phrases

see dribs and drabs .

Example Sentences

Every time I think of my old idea of midlife — that dreary pasture full of drab linens — laughter bubbles out of me.

From Los Angeles Times

Jenkins’ direction is serviceable at best and the style is drab rather than nostalgically worn.

From Los Angeles Times

We learned last week that in 2017, Justice Samuel Alito—apparently bored with the drab black robes of a U.S.

From Slate

But while NRTs have helped millions of cigarette smokers cut down on the habit, until recently, they’ve looked drab and medicinal, something Schott and Lee believes intimidates younger generations of nicotine users from giving them a shot.

From Los Angeles Times

That it’s the least obviously sexy setting in the “NCIS” collection — no offense, Oceanside, not to say the ocean itself — is echoed in the team’s drab Quonset-hut headquarters, a stark contrast to the bright, modern, high-tech lairs of the contemporary shows.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bleak
• desolate
• dingy
• dismal
• dreary
• gray
• lackluster
• muddy
• run down
• shabby
• somber