drabness


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drab 1

 (drăb)
adj. drab·ber, drab·best
1.
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.
n.
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.

drab 2

 (drăb)
n.
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.]

drab 3

 (drăb)
n.
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:
Noun1.drabness - having a drab or dowdy quality; lacking stylishness or elegance
inelegance - the quality of lacking refinement and good taste
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

drabness

noun
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
رَتابَه
bezvýraznostjednotvárnostšeď
trøstesløshed
szürkeség
tilbreytingarleysi
nevýraznosť
kasvetsıkıcılık

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

nTristheit 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
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
The rays of the setting sun brought out the drabness of her.
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.
From the Centre to the provinces, drabness is raining down.
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.
The jewel of the area, of course, is Wallneuk North Church, which rises like a mountain amid the surrounding drabness.
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.
Above the man in the Kremlin soared the granite structure in its overpowering drabness. The revolutionary kitsch was built on masculine realism.
I felt an attack of drabness with my chipped nails and smudged eye liner opposite her impeccable manicure and directional haircut.
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.
Ear-to-toe drabness. Thus proving even when dressed like a sack, she's still stunning.