burbs

Beyond city limits

Burbs is informal shorthand for suburbs—the residential areas surrounding a city: We moved out to the burbs when the kids started school.

The word carries a slightly dismissive or ironic tone, suggesting bland uniformity or middle-class conformity: Nothing ever happens in the burbs.

class

middle-class

Intermediate socioeconomic group

equity · aspirational · affordability

residential

subdivision

Portion of something larger

bungalow · McMansion · detached · backyard · driveway · garage · patio · fence · landscaping · lawn

lifestyle

minivan

Multipurpose family vehicle

  • homeownerProperty title holder
  • HOAResidential community organization
  • PTAFamily-faculty advocacy group

family-friendly · barbecue · trick-or-treating · garage-sale · dog-walking · carpool · drive-through

commuter

commute

Regular work travel

bus · carpool · traffic · highway · expressway · park-and-ride · transit · congestion · rush-hour · freeway

Categories
Opposites
urban-suburban location

burbsdowntown

Central business district

city center · inner city · urban core · metropolis · city

development density and character

burbscountryside

Rural area beyond towns

rural areas · the sticks · farmland · boondocks · backcountry

lifestyle and cultural connotation

burbsskid row

Impoverished urban district

arts district

Phrases
  • the burbsOutlying residential districts, casually
Family

suburb, suburban, suburbs, suburbanite, suburbanites, suburbanization, suburbanizing, burb

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G