den of vice
Corrupt gathering place
A den of vice is a place where immoral or illegal activities flourish—gambling, prostitution, drug use, or general debauchery.
The phrase carries a tone of moral disapproval, often used by reformers or in melodramatic contexts: The mayor vowed to shut down every den of vice in the city.
Sometimes used ironically for any slightly disreputable hangout.
- brothelCommercial sex establishment
- red light districtZone for commercial sex work
- house of ill reputeEstablishment for prostitution
- saloonDrinking establishment, often frontier
- speakeasyIllicit liquor establishment
back alley · gambling · seedy · underworld · black market · sin · debauchery · opium · tavern · sleazy · smoke-filled room · whorehouse · lady of the night · backroom · shady · corrupt · dirty money · illicit
- vice densbrothel, speakeasy, crack house, trap house, whorehouse
- moral decaymoral decay, moral decline, moral collapse, moral bankruptcy, degeneration
den of vicehouse of God
Place of worship
church · sanctuary · temple · house of worship · sacred space
den of viceholy place
Site deemed spiritually sacred
hallowed ground · consecrated ground · tabernacle · synagogue · mosque
den of vicecommunity center
Shared neighborhood gathering space
school · library · hospital · orphanage · soup kitchen