asphalt jungle
Concrete city sprawl
A city or urban area, especially one seen as dangerous, chaotic, or dominated by the struggle for survival.
The phrase evokes concrete landscapes where predatory behavior and harsh conditions mirror wilderness survival: Growing up in the asphalt jungle taught him to watch his back.
The term gained currency from the 1949 novel and 1950 film of the same name.
Large important city
- skyscrapersExtremely tall urban buildings
- downtownCentral business district
- subwayUnderground transit passage
- taxicabsHired passenger vehicles
traffic · concrete · sidewalks · highrise · neon · billboards · commuters · bustle
Realm of the departed
- gangsterCriminal organization member
- heistOrganized large-scale theft
- robberyTheft through intimidation
- muggerOne who robs violently
corruption · racketeering · extortion · smuggling · larceny · burglary · theft · felony
Professional crime investigator
- femme fataleTreacherous enchantress
- shadowsDark areas from blocked light
- smokyFilled with combustion haze
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
suspense · intrigue · voiceover · flashback · private eye · cynicism · pessimism · fatalism
In original state
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- ruggedTough and uneven
- toughDurable and strong
- unrefinedNot processed or polished
dirty · grimy · seedy · rundown · dilapidated · crumbling · graffiti · litter
Severe lack of resources
- struggleLabored effort against resistance
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- squalorDirty, degraded living conditions
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
desolation · bleakness · downtrodden · impoverished · underprivileged · oppression · toil · homeless
metropolis
Large important city
- skyscrapersExtremely tall urban buildings
- downtownCentral business district
- subwayUnderground transit passage
taxicabs · traffic · concrete · sidewalks · highrise · neon · billboards · commuters · bustle · pedestrians
underworld
Realm of the departed
- gangsterCriminal organization member
- heistOrganized large-scale theft
- robberyTheft through intimidation
mugger · corruption · racketeering · extortion · smuggling · larceny · burglary · theft · felony · fraud
detective
Professional crime investigator
- femme fataleTreacherous enchantress
- shadowsDark areas from blocked light
- smokyFilled with combustion haze
double-cross · suspense · intrigue · voiceover · flashback · private eye · cynicism · pessimism · fatalism · black-and-white
raw
In original state
unrefined · dirty · grimy · seedy · rundown · dilapidated · crumbling · graffiti · litter · smog
poverty
Severe lack of resources
- struggleLabored effort against resistance
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- squalorDirty, degraded living conditions
adversity · desolation · bleakness · downtrodden · impoverished · underprivileged · oppression · toil · homeless · destitution
- urban infrastructurepower grid, parking lot, highway, water supply, sewage system
asphalt junglecountryside
Rural area beyond towns
wilderness · rural landscape · open country · farmland · backcountry
asphalt junglerural idyll
Idealized country existence
pastoral retreat · country living · small-town life · agrarian life · Arcadia
asphalt junglecountryside
Rural area beyond towns
wilderness · nature · rural area · the wild · forest