DictionarydiveShabby establishment
noun

dive

A shabby or disreputable establishment, especially a bar.

The band plays every Friday at a dive near the station.

Etymology

The establishment name draws on going down, especially into a basement drinking place. It broadened to a disreputable or shabby bar regardless of its actual floor.

More examples

  • That diner looks like a dive, but the pancakes are excellent.
  • We stopped at a noisy dive for a cheap beer.
  • Most of the dives on this block have closed.

Forms

dive · dives

Similar words

dump
Emphasizes a dirty, unpleasant place, not necessarily a business.
joint
Informally names an establishment without necessarily suggesting shabbiness.