concrete jungle

American  

[kon-kreet juhng-guhl, kong-] / ˈkɒn krit ˈdʒʌŋ gəl, ˈkɒŋ- /

noun

1. any large, crowded city or urban area with little greenery or access to nature, sometimes one regarded as a dangerous place where people are engaged in a struggle for survival.

   Central Park is a breath of fresh air and nature in the middle of the concrete jungle that is New York City.

   The campaign ad plays to middle-class fears that an increasing crime rate is the first sign of a descent into violent anarchy and the concrete jungle.

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Example Sentences

Its glamour, abundance and sheer scale — a true concrete jungle — can be loved or hated depending on who you ask.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

The Empire State Building in bustling Manhattan is now equipped with super sensitive microphones, tuning into bird calls and the slightest flutter of insects amid the cacophony of the concrete jungle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Unlike many other dwellings in the concrete jungle, this one has its own plush garden, allowing the most famous woman in China to reconnect with nature amid New York City’s hustle and bustle.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 25, 2025

The city's famous grid system will frame the setting sun, casting a warm glow over the concrete jungle.

From BBC • May 30, 2023

Like wisps of smoke, memories of his youth in the concrete jungle drifted through his mind.

From Regeneration by Dye, Charles