adjective / noun
drab
DRAB/dræb/
Dull in color or interest.
The drab walls make this room feel cold and unwelcoming.
Etymology
The cloth word became a name for thick, yellowish-gray woolen fabric, then for its undyed color. That subdued color supplied the figurative meaning of dull or lacking interest.
In context
they can sit in the corner of her drab office on a faux leather recliner and stare at the white wall under the fluorescent lights
More examples
- A bright scarf makes her plain outfit look less drab.
- His funny stories brighten an otherwise drab afternoon.
- The uniforms come in olive drab.
Forms
drab · drabber · drabbest
drabness noun — The quality of lacking brightness or interest.