Drab — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈdrab/

Meaning & Definition of Drab

Drab (adjective)

  1. characterized by dullness and monotony, cheerless
  2. of a light olive brown color, of the color drab
  3. of the dull brown color of drab

Drab (noun)

  1. a light olive brown
  2. a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality
  3. any of various cloths of a dull brown or gray color
  4. a small amount —usually used in the phrase dribs and drabs
  5. slattern
  6. a woman who engages in sex acts and especially sexual intercourse in exchange for pay, a woman who is a sex worker

Drab (verb)

  1. to associate with sex workers

Drab (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest

    "the new city hall promises to be another drab pile of masonry for the town"

    similar: arid, boring, colorless, dreary, drudging, dry, dull, dusty, flat, heavy, ho-hum, humdrum, jading, jejune, leaden, mind-numbing, monochromatic, monotonous, numbing, old, pedestrian, ponderous, slow, stale, stodgy, stuffy, stupid, tame, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying
    related: aseptic, barren, blah, dullish, pleasureless, prosaic, prosy, soggy, spiritless, blank, earthbound, gray, inanimate, pallid, pedantic, sterile, suspenseless, undramatic, uneventful, unexciting, unimaginative, uninspiring, unnewsworthy, unrewarding, unsensational, unspectacular, annoying, bothersome, irksome, irritating, longsome, palling, draining, enervating, exhausting, fatiguing, wearing, debilitating, enfeebling, demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, common, commonplace, ordinary, tepid, unexceptional, unsurprising, vapid, cumbersome, lumbering, plodding, poky
    opposite: absorbing, engaging, engrossing, gripping, interesting, intriguing, involving, riveting
    near: amazing, astonishing, astounding, awesome, eye-opening, fabulous, marvelous, sensational, spectacular, surprising, wonderful, wondrous, animating, breathtaking, electrifying, energizing, enlivening, exciting, exhilarating, galvanizing, hair-raising, inspiring, invigorating, rip-roaring, rousing, stimulating, stirring, thrilling, amusing, diverting, entertaining, moving, poignant, touching, alluring, attracting, attractive, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charming, enchanting, enthralling, entrancing, fascinating, mesmerizing, spellbinding, suspenseful, arresting, provocative, tantalizing

Drab (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: bawd (old-fashioned), call girl, cocotte, courtesan, hooker (informal + disapproving), hustler, prostitute, sex worker, streetwalker, tart (informal + disapproving), woman of the street (disparaging)
    related: madam, madame, chippie (slang, disapproving), doxy (old-fashioned, disapproving), floozy, tramp (disparaging), hussy, jade, minx, coquette, flirt, libertine, siren, tempter, temptress, vamp

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Drab

The most common words with a similar meaning to Drab:

Informal + disapproving: hooker, tart
Old-fashioned: bawd
Disparaging: woman of the street
arid, boring, colorless, dreary, drudging, dry, dull, dusty, flat, heavy, ho-hum, humdrum, jading, jejune, leaden, mind-numbing, monochromatic, monotonous, numbing, old, pedestrian, ponderous, slow, stale, stodgy, stuffy, stupid, tame, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying, call girl, cocotte, courtesan, hustler, prostitute

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Drab

Words with the opposite meaning of Drab:

absorbing, engaging, engrossing, gripping, interesting, intriguing, involving, riveting

Related Words for Drab

aseptic, barren, blah, dullish, pleasureless, prosaic, prosy, soggy, spiritless, blank, earthbound, gray, inanimate, pallid, pedantic, sterile, suspenseless, undramatic, uneventful, unexciting, unimaginative, uninspiring, unnewsworthy, unrewarding, unsensational, unspectacular, annoying, bothersome, irksome, irritating

Near Antonyms of Drab

amazing, astonishing, astounding, awesome, eye-opening, fabulous, marvelous, sensational, spectacular, surprising, wonderful, wondrous, animating, breathtaking, electrifying, energizing, enlivening, exciting, exhilarating, galvanizing, hair-raising, inspiring, invigorating, rip-roaring, rousing, stimulating, stirring, thrilling, amusing, diverting

Word Forms of Drab

Inflections: drabber, drabbest, drabs, drabbed, drabbing

Derived words: drably (adverb), drabness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Drab

Middle French drap cloth, from Late Latin drappus

First known use: 1686

Words & Phrases Containing Drab

olive drab

Frequently Asked Questions about Drab

What does "Drab" mean?

"Drab" means characterized by dullness and monotony, cheerless. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: characterized by dullness and monotony, cheerless. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Drab"?

Other words for "Drab" include arid, boring, colorless, dreary, drudging, dry, dull and dusty. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Drab" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Drab"?

There are 116 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Drab". Common alternatives include arid, boring, colorless, dreary, drudging, dry, dull, dusty, flat and heavy.

What is the opposite of "Drab"?

Antonyms of "Drab" include absorbing, engaging, engrossing, gripping, interesting, intriguing, involving and riveting. Near antonyms include amazing, astonishing, astounding and awesome.

How do you use "Drab" in a sentence?

Examples of "Drab" in a sentence: "the new city hall promises to be another drab pile of masonry for the town"; "in its time, this waterfront dive was decried as a den of iniquity, unfit even for the drunks and drabs who haunted it".

Is "Drab" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Drab" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Drab"?

"Drab" is pronounced /ˈdrab/.

What is the origin of the word "Drab"?

"Drab" comes from Middle French drap cloth, from Late Latin drappus. First known use: 1686.