Learn English – word for “antro” in English

single-word-requeststranslation

I'm looking for a word equivalent to the Spanish word antro. Its definitions are "building frequented by delinquents and people of bad reputation" and
"dirty dwelling of bad appearance".

Maybe the word has other meanings but those are the ones I'm looking for.

I found "joint" in a dictionary; is this word a good fit? I think antro can sort of mean "joint", but antros are usually joints of people of questionable reputation (the word has a derogatory connotation), plus the word is not used only for bars or dancing venues, but also houses and any other building.

Best Answer

We have the word in Central America also and it could probably be translated best as a:

dive

A shabby or sleazy bar or similar establishment.

-Oxford Dictionary online

Characteristics of a dive bar include:

  • smells faintly of stale beer with a side of puke and/or urine -possible sawdust on floor
  • half of the patrons wear the "10,000 miles of bad road" face
  • fights break out frequently
  • no stall doors in men's room
  • pay phone taken out due to drug dealing problems
  • taps have not been cleaned, ever

-Yelp.com

Although when I was living in the US, we just called them "dives". In fact, I can remember people saying

"What a dive!"

just to express repulsion when entering any such a place, bar or otherwise. A less formal establishment could be referred to as a

low-life hangout

a low-life is a bottom dwelling delinquent, and a hangout is a place for "friends" to congregate.

[EDIT]

When we look up antro for a translation, we find:

seedy bar, seedy club, seedy joint (informal), or dive (informal)

-Oxford Spanish Dictionary

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