drab C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /dræb/ UK /dræb/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj dull and lacking brightness or interest; of a dull brownish color The office walls were painted a depressing, drab gray. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · dull and lacking brightness... dulldrearycolorlessdingygloomylacklustercheerlessmonotonous ↔ Opposites brightcolorfulvividcheerfulvibrant Word family Derived forms drabnessdrably Etymology AI details From Middle French 'drap' ('cloth'), from Late Latin 'drappus' ('cloth'); originally a kind of dull undyed woolen cloth, hence the color and the figurative dullness. drap Middle French drappus Late Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # drab **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /dræb/ **IPA (UK):** /dræb/ ## Meanings 1. dull and lacking brightness or interest; of a dull brownish color ## Examples - The office walls were painted a depressing, drab gray. ## Synonyms - dull - dreary - colorless - dingy - gloomy - lackluster - cheerless - monotonous ## Antonyms - bright - colorful - vivid - cheerful - vibrant ## Derived Forms - drabness - drably ## Roots and Affixes - Root: drap - Root: drappus ## Etymology From Middle French 'drap' ('cloth'), from Late Latin 'drappus' ('cloth'); originally a kind of dull undyed woolen cloth, hence the color and the figurative dullness. ## AI Etymology Drab is from Middle French 'drap' ('cloth'), from Late Latin 'drappus' ('cloth'); originally a kind of dull undyed woolen cloth, hence the color and the figurative dullness. Important recorded forms include drap (Middle French) and drappus (Late Latin). The current sense covers dull and lacking brightness or interest; of a dull brownish color. The wider family includes derived forms such as drabness and drably. ## Topics - Describing Qualities markdown