dive bar

American  

[dahyv bahr] / ˈdaɪv ˌbɑr /

noun

Slang.

1. a dingy, disreputable, or seedy bar or tavern.

   We met for a drink at this dank, dimly lit dive bar around the corner.

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Etymology

Origin of dive bar

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dive bar

There are dive bar mimosas, strip malls, grocery aisles and cheap canned noodles.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

“We used to love going to the Smog Cutter,” she says of the shuttered Silver Lake dive bar, “to have a couple Bud Lights and sing Mariah Carey really poorly.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025

The Oakland Coliseum, the A’s longtime home, was widely considered one of the most run-down stadiums in the major leagues — baseball’s last dive bar, as the Guardian newspaper put it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2025

Edwards meant it as a polite rib at the Culver City staple dive bar, but it’s also an appropriate joke to crack about the group that calls itself “America’s local band.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2025

“You know the Allens over on Porter Street, by that dive bar called Drinkers?”

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick