drabdrab /dræb/ adjective 
Word Origin
The walls were painted a drab green.2boring SYN dull: people forced to live grey, drab existences in ugly towns—drabness noun [uncountable] → dribs and drabs
Word OriginWORD ORIGINdrab
ExamplesOrigin:
1500-1600 drab ‘(dull-colored) cloth’ (16-18 centuries), from Old French drap ‘cloth’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Paul grew tired of his drab, depressing life.
- When I came to Manchester from Brazil everything seemed so drab and colourless.
- You enter the drab office building half-expecting it to be abandoned.
- Augusta was not at her best yesterday on a drab, grey day.
- Canvassing one day in a by-election in Essex, Martin was asked to cover a street of drab brick semis.
- I liked the town, for all its drab and muted calm; it seemed a safe place to be.
- She seemed to like her drab vista.
- Their clothes hung loosely on their frames, drab coats and washed-out dresses covered with a film of dust.
- Unfortunately, much of the drab utilitarianism of urban existence has come to be associated with the design philosophy of functionalism.
- We figured it was a bonus for having to put up with that drab Sunday issue.
Longman Language Activatorplace► boring
Phrases not at all interesting or exciting to live in: · This is such a boring town - there's nothing to do in the evenings.· It's so boring here. I wish we lived in L.A.
► dead a town that is dead is boring because nothing interesting happens, and there is nothing interesting to do: · In summer we get a few visitors, but most of the time this place is dead.· It's absolutely dead here when all the students go away for the summer vacation.
► nothing ever happens spoken if you say nothing ever happens in a place, you mean nothing interesting or exciting happens there: · Nothing ever happens around here. Why do you like it so much?
► dreary a dreary place is one where there is nothing attractive or cheerful to see: · I was living in a dreary apartment in a run-down part of town.· Laurie gazed out over a dreary landscape of factories and parking lots.
► drab buildings and places that are drab are not colourful or interesting to look at: · When I came to Manchester from Brazil everything seemed so drab and colourless.· You enter the drab office building half-expecting it to be abandoned.
► featureless: featureless landscape/plain/coast etc a large area of land that has no interesting or unusual features: · It was flat, featureless coastline.· In the middle of these otherwise featureless plains is a striking range of mountains.
WORD SETS► Coloursamber, nounamethyst, nounapricot, nounaquamarine, nounashen, adjectiveauburn, adjectiveazure, adjectivebar, nounbarred, adjectivebeige, nounblack, adjectiveblack, nounblack, verbblack and white, adjectiveblacken, verbbleed, verbblood-red, adjectiveblue, adjectiveblue, nounbluish, adjectivebold, adjectivebottle green, nounbrassy, adjectivebrindled, adjectivebronze, nounbronze, adjectivebrown, adjectivebrown, nounbuff, nounburgundy, nouncarmine, nouncarroty, adjectivecerise, nouncerulean, nounchartreuse, nouncherry, nounchestnut, nounchestnut, adjectivechromatic, adjectivechrome yellow, nounclaret, nounclear, adjectivecoffee, nouncool, adjectivecopper, nouncoral, adjectivecream, adjectivecreamy, adjectivecrimson, adjectivecyan, adjectivedappled, adjectivedapple-grey, nounDay-Glo, adjectivediscoloration, noundiscolour, verbdrab, adjectivedull, adjectivedun, noundusky, adjectivedye, verbebony, adjectivefawn, adjectiveflaxen, adjectiveflesh-coloured, adjectiveflorid, adjectivefluorescent, adjectiveflush, nounfuchsia, noungarish, adjectivegarnet, noungaudy, adjectivegay, adjectiveginger, adjectivegold, noungold, adjectivegolden, adjectivegray, green, adjectivegreen, noungreenish, adjectivegrey, adjectivegrey, noungreyish, adjectivehazel, adjectiveindigo, nouniridescent, adjectiveivory, nounjade, nounjet-black, adjectivekhaki, nounlavender, nounleaden, adjectivelemon, nounlilac, nounlily-white, adjectivelime green, nounlivid, adjectiveloud, adjectiveluminous, adjectivelurid, adjectivemagenta, nounmagnolia, nounmahogany, nounmaroon, nounmatch, nounmauve, nounmellow, adjectivemellow, verbmonochrome, adjectivemousy, adjectivemuddy, adjectivemulticoloured, adjectivemustard, nounmuted, adjectivenavy blue, adjectiveneutral, adjectiveochre, nounoff-white, nounolive, nounopalescent, adjectiveorange, nounpale, adjectivepastel, nounpastel, adjectivepeach, nounpea green, nounpearly, adjectivepepper-and-salt, adjectivepink, adjectivepink, nounpinkish, adjectiveplum, nounplum, adjectivepowder blue, nounprimary colour, nounprimrose, nounprismatic, adjectivepuce, adjectivepure, adjectivepurple, nounpurplish, adjectivered, adjectivered, nounredden, verbreddish, adjectiveredhead, nounrestrained, adjectiverich, adjectiverose, nounrose, adjectiveroseate, adjectiverose-coloured, adjectiverosy, adjectiveroyal blue, nounruby, nounruddy, adjectiverusset, nounsable, adjectivesaffron, nounscarlet, adjectivesepia, nounshade, nounshocking pink, nounsienna, nounsilver, nounsilver, adjectivesilvery, adjectivesky-blue, adjectivesnow-white, adjectivesnowy, adjectivesoft, adjectivesombre, adjectivesteely, adjectivetaupe, nountawny, adjectiveteal, nountint, nountint, verbtone, nounturquoise, nountwo-tone, adjectiveultramarine, nounumber, nounvermilion, nounvibrant, adjectiveviolet, nounwarm, adjectivewaxen, adjectiveweak, adjectivewhite, adjectivewhite, nounwhiten, verbwhitish, adjectiveyellow, adjectiveyellow, nounyellow, verbyellowy, adjective
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► in dribs and drabs
1not bright in colour, especially in a way that stops you from feeling cheerful SYN dull: - He insisted on paying me back in dribs and drabs, five or ten dollars at a time.
- News of the accident is coming in in dribs and drabs.
- The wedding guests were arriving in dribs and drabs.
The walls were painted a drab green.2boring SYN dull: people forced to live grey, drab existences in ugly towns—drabness noun [uncountable] → dribs and drabs