dive bar

noun

plural dive bars

: an unpretentious and usually inexpensive bar that caters especially to regular clientele

… the people I drink and listen to music with tend to gather … at favored dive bars where the music and ambiance suit our taste and demographic. … These joints are never sleek or swank, but are places that are nonjudgmental … and are open late.

—Anthony Bourdain

This hole-in-the-wall dive bar is easy to miss, nestled between an unassuming pizza joint and a 7-Eleven.

—Oset Babur

If you headed out for the night to get a few drinks with friends and you all decided to go to a dive bar, how absurd would it be if one of your buddies then started complaining about the lack of artisanal snacks and vintage cocktails on the menu?

—Michael Walsh

Examples of dive bar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Piano Room The dive bar in the Waldo neighborhood underwent renovations last year, and has since welcomed back everyone with its weekly trivia and karaoke nights. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026

The dive bar is and always has been committed to making everyone feel at home. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 10 July 2026

Paymaster Lounge, Portland, Oregon A good dive bar rarely lends itself to outdoor seating. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 30 June 2026

Kara isn’t the only superhero with a tragic origin story – but unlike, say, that guy who dresses up as a bat and fights crime after the deaths of his mom and dad, Kara hits up a dive bar and plays with her dog to cope. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dive bar

• abattoir
• alcazar
• autocar
• avatar
• belshazzar
• caviar
• caviare
• cinnabar
• commissar
• condylar
• deodar
• handlebar