drabness
gb/dɹˈæbnəs/ us/dɹˈæbnəs/
C1
English
sivárság, egyhangúság, komorság, lepusztultság, laposság, színtelenség, züllöttség
NOUN
C1
1
sivárság
C1
Usage pattern:
the drabness of [something]
The yellow cushions softened the drabness of the grey sofa.
A sárga díszpárnák oldották a szürke kanapé sivárságát.
After weeks of rain, the drabness of the sky felt endless.
Több hét eső után az ég sivársága végtelennek tűnt.
A few plants can lift the drabness of a narrow hallway.
Learner examples
The room’s drabness made it feel cold.
A szoba sivársága miatt hidegnek hatott.
Flowers helped with the drabness of the street.
A virágok enyhítettek az utca sivárságán.
Common mistake:
Usually uncountable: say "the drabness of the room," not "a drabness" (except in special styles).
Meaning
dull, unattractive lack of color
Collocations
the drabness of the winter sky
|the drabness of the buildings
|urban drabness
|visual drabness
|sheer drabness
|lifeless drabness
|escape the drabness
|break the drabness
|contrast with the drabness
|add color to the drabness
Synonyms
dullness (general lack of brightness or interest.)
|
drab quality (emphasizes plain, grey-looking appearance.)
|
plainness (focuses on being simple and not decorative.)
Antonyms
brightness (having strong light or vivid color.)
|
vividness (strong, clear, lively colors or details.)
|
colorfulness (having many bright colors.)
Themes
appearance
|colors
|art_design
Definition
a dull look with little color
The quality of being dull and uninteresting in appearance, especially because of a lack of bright color or variety.
NOUN
C1
2
egyhangúság
B2
Usage pattern:
the drabness of [life/work/routine]
He took up running to escape the drabness of his routine.
Futni kezdett, hogy kitörjön a mindennapjai egyhangúságából.
The new project brought some life to the drabness of the job.
Az új projekt egy kis életet vitt a munka egyhangúságába.
They traveled on weekends to break the drabness of city life.
Learner examples
Music helped her forget the drabness of work.
A zene segített neki megfeledkezni a munka egyhangúságáról.
The trip added excitement to the drabness of his week.
Az utazás izgalmat vitt a hete egyhangúságába.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse drabness (boring) with tiredness (needing rest).
Meaning
boring, monotonous quality of life
Collocations
the drabness of everyday life
|the drabness of his routine
|the drabness of office work
|relieve the drabness
|the constant drabness
|sink into drabness
|a sense of drabness
|the drabness of the commute
|the drabness of routine
|break up the drabness
Synonyms
monotony (emphasizes repetition and sameness.)
|
tedium (emphasizes boredom and impatience.)
|
dreariness (adds a feeling of gloom as well as boredom.)
Antonyms
excitement (a strong feeling of interest or energy.)
|
variety (many different things; not the same.)
|
vibrancy (lively energy and activity.)
Themes
daily_life
|emotions
|work
Definition
the feeling that life is boring
The quality of being boring, monotonous, or lacking excitement or variety.
NOUN
C1
3
komorság
B2
Usage pattern:
the drabness of [place]
New lighting reduced the drabness of the basement.
Az új világítás csökkentette az alagsor komorságát.
A coat of paint did a lot to remove the drabness of the stairwell.
Egy réteg festék sokat segített a lépcsőház komorságának megszüntetésében.
The café’s warm colors were a welcome break from the drabness outside.
Learner examples
Clean windows can reduce the drabness of a room.
A tiszta ablakok csökkenthetik egy szoba komorságát.
Common mistake:
Drabness is about appearance; for crime or danger, use words like "roughness" or "unsafe."
Meaning
dingy, gloomy look of a place
Collocations
the drabness of the neighborhood
|the drabness of the corridor
|the drabness of the flats
|institutional drabness
|grim drabness
|peeling paint and drabness
|the drabness of the waiting room
|stale drabness
|grey drabness
|the drabness of the streetscape
Synonyms
dinginess (stresses being slightly dirty and depressing.)
|
shabbiness (stresses worn, poorly maintained condition.)
|
gloom (stresses darkness and a depressing mood.)
Antonyms
freshness (clean, new, and pleasant-looking.)
|
sparkle (bright, lively, and attractive appearance.)
|
smartness (neat, stylish, and well cared for.)
Themes
housing
|cities
|appearance
Definition
a place that looks dirty and sad
A dirty, gloomy, or neglected appearance, especially of a room, building, or street.
NOUN
C2
4
laposság
B2
színtelenség
B2
Usage pattern:
the drabness of [writing/prose/design]
The editor helped remove the drabness from the dialogue.
A szerkesztő segített megszüntetni a párbeszédek laposságát.
A few strong verbs can cut through the drabness of passive writing.
Néhány erőteljes ige át tudja törni a passzív fogalmazás színtelenségét.
The redesign replaced the drabness of the old website with bold, clean typography.
Learner examples
The story’s drabness made it hard to finish.
A történet lapossága miatt nehéz volt végigolvasni.
Common mistake:
Don’t use drabness to mean "wrong" or "incorrect"; it means lacking life or color.
Meaning
lack of energy in writing or art
Collocations
the drabness of the prose
|stylistic drabness
|narrative drabness
|visual drabness
|grey drabness of the design
|avoid drabness
|lift the drabness
|complaints about drabness
|a touch of humor to counter drabness
|the drabness of the layout
Synonyms
flatness (emphasizes lack of depth or emotional effect.)
|
lifelessness (emphasizes lack of energy or spirit.)
|
blandness (emphasizes lack of distinctive flavor or character.)
Antonyms
spark (a lively, exciting quality.)
|
color (vividness and interest in style or expression.)
|
expressiveness (clear, lively communication of feeling or ideas.)
Themes
language
|art_design
|education
Definition
writing or design that feels flat
A quality of being flat, lifeless, or lacking vivid language or imaginative detail, especially in writing, design, or other creative work.
NOUN
C2
ARCHAIC
5
züllöttség
C1
In the novel, the narrator describes the drabness of the underworld in harsh detail.
A regényben az elbeszélő nyers részletességgel írja le az alvilág züllöttségét.
The term appears in older texts with connotations of moral drabness.
A szó régebbi szövegekben erkölcsi züllöttségre utaló árnyalatokkal jelenik meg.
Common mistake:
This sense is uncommon in modern English; most uses mean "dullness" or "boringness."
Meaning
sordidness (rare, older sense)
Collocations
moral drabness
|the drabness of the alleyways
|a life of drabness
Synonyms
sordidness (stresses moral dirtiness or unpleasantness.)
|
degradation (stresses a fallen or humiliating condition.)
Antonyms
respectability (socially acceptable, proper character.)
|
dignity (a sense of worth and self-respect.)
Themes
history
|society
Definition
a dirty or low-life quality (old use)
A sordid or degraded quality, sometimes linked to older uses of drab meaning a prostitute.
Grammar
Dictionary form
drabness
IPA
GB/dɹˈæbnəs/
US/dɹˈæbnəs/
Syllables & stress
drab - ness (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (drab)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: drabness
- Plural: drabness
Word family
Core family
drab
adjective
Related words
drably
adverb
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.