drab¹

(drăb)

adj. drab·ber, drab·best

a. Of a dull grayish to yellowish brown.

b. Of a light olive brown or khaki color.

2. Faded and dull in appearance.

3. Dull or commonplace in character; dreary: a drab personality. See Synonyms at dull.

1. A dull grayish to yellowish or light olive brown.

2. Cloth of this color or of an unbleached natural color.

[Alteration of obsolete French drap, cloth, from Old French; see drape.]

drab′ly adv.

drab′ness n.

drab²

(drăb)

1. A slovenly woman; a slattern.

2. A woman prostitute.

intr.v. drabbed, drab·bing, drabs

To consort with prostitutes: "Even amid his drabbing, he himself retained some virginal airs" (Stanislaus Joyce).

[Possibly of Celtic origin (akin to Scottish Gaelic dràbag Irish Gaelic drabóg, slattern) or from Dutch drab, dregs.]

drab³

(drăb)

A negligible amount: finished the work in dribs and drabs.

[Probably alteration of drib.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

drabness - having a drab or dowdy quality; lacking stylishness or elegance

dowdiness, homeliness

inelegance - the quality of lacking refinement and good taste

drabness

noun

A lack of excitement, liveliness, or interest:

asepticism, blandness, colorlessness, dreariness, dryness, dullness, flatness, flavorlessness, insipidity, insipidness, jejuneness, lifelessness, sterileness, sterility, stodginess, vapidity, vapidness, weariness.

Translations

رَتابَه

bezvýraznostjednotvárnostšeď

trøstesløshed

Eintönigkeit

szürkeség

tilbreytingarleysi

ensformighet monotoni

nevýraznosť

kasvetsıkıcılık

单调乏味

drabness

[ˈdræbnɪs] N [of life] → monotonía f; [of clothes, colours] → lo soso

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

drabness

[ˈdræbnɪs] n [life] → monotonie f; [place] → grisaille f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

drabness

n → Tristheit f; (of life, activities) → Eintönigkeit f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

drabness

[ˈdræbnɪs] n (of colour) → cupezza; (of clothes) → aspetto triste; (of life) → grigiore m

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

drab

(drӕb) adjective

dull and uninteresting, especially in colour. drab clothes.

ˈdrably adverb

ˈdrabness noun

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The rays of the setting sun brought out the drabness of her.

View in context

"Abolish austerity, drabness in the home," a large ad announced.

It was all a matter of opinion; The long-lost Birmingham newspaper that left its readers in little doubt

GlyndwrAplfor I understand your point, but I don't want to go back to the days when poorer people who lived in inner cities had just their streets of drabness to live/relax/play in, there weren't even council parks in those days.

feeders/canals. With the Crescent WEBCHAT

From the Centre to the provinces, drabness is raining down.

The exciting art of boredom

The crowning of Queen Elizabeth introduced colour and extravagance to a generation used to the drabness associated with the war years -- the black-outs, brown or blue serge demob suits, no-frills utility fashion, the make-do-and-mend.

Watch brilliant video of celebrations on the streets of Gateshead 65 years ago; The people of Gateshead celebrate the coronation of Queen Elzabeth II on video from the North East Film Archive\n

The crowning of Queen Elizabeth introduced colour and extravagance to a generation used to the drabness associated with the war years - the black-outs, brown or blue serge demob suits, no-frills utility fashion, the makedo-and-mend.

Step back 65 years to old Gateshead; NOSTALGIA DAVE MORTON recalls the people and places of the North East EMAIL: david.morton.editorial@ncjmedia.co.uk TELEPHONE: 0191 2016437 WRITE TO: Dave Morton, Nostalgia Editor, ncjMedia, Eldon Court, Percy Street, Newcastle, NE1 7JB. @DaveSMorton Newcastle Chronicle - History Photosales - 0191 201 6000 THE QUEEN'S CORONATION IS CELEBRATED ON THE STREETS

The jewel of the area, of course, is Wallneuk North Church, which rises like a mountain amid the surrounding drabness.

Church brings human touch; THENANDNOW THE CHANGING FACE OF RENFREWSHIRE BY KENNETH SPEIRS

Now with the full support of Mayor Budd and Deputy Mayor Rooney the Centre Square is to be further emasculated, office blocks around the perimeter will only add to the drabness that pervades the ex Victoria Square.

Wishful thinking for park to return to glory days?

Above the man in the Kremlin soared the granite structure in its overpowering drabness. The revolutionary kitsch was built on masculine realism.

Good journalism, bold women have shamed men

I felt an attack of drabness with my chipped nails and smudged eye liner opposite her impeccable manicure and directional haircut.

Is it wine o'clock yet? The trials and tribulations of getting through the day as a working mum

Moyes' media comments in general featured, as did the drabness of Sunderland's football and the quality of the signings he brought to the club.

Misery loves company as fans unite to slam negative Moyes

Ear-to-toe drabness. Thus proving even when dressed like a sack, she's still stunning.

The hot and the not

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