Meanings
plural concrete jungles
- idiomaticAn urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.
There is nothing quite like the affection of a transplanted New Yorker for his native concrete jungle.
1948 April 9, Richard Coe, “Hellinger Mixed Real Manhattan”, in Washington Post, page 241 more example
Spain plans to restore a fifth of its coastline from overdeveloped concrete jungle to a more natural state.
2007 October 29, “Spain aims to restore overdeveloped coastlines to a more natural look”, in International Herald TribuneSynonyms: concrete desert
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.
Translations
Chinese Cantonese 石屎森林
- 石屎森林 (sek⁶ si² sam¹ lam⁴)unattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Chinese Mandarin 水泥叢林 /水泥丛林, 水泥森林
- 水泥叢林 /水泥丛林 (shuǐní cónglín)unattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
- 水泥森林 (shuǐní sēnlín)unattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Finnish betoniviidakko, betonierämaa
- betoniviidakkounattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
- betonierämaaunattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
- betonihelvettiunattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
French jungle urbaine
- jungle urbaineunattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Greek τσιμεντούπολη
- τσιμεντούπολη (tsimentoúpoli)unattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Hungarian betondzsungel
- betondzsungelunattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Italian giungla d'asfalto, giungla di cemento
- giungla d'asfaltounattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
- giungla di cementounattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Polish betonowa dżungla
- betonowa dżunglaunattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Portuguese selva de concreto, selva de pedra
- selva de concretounattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
- selva de pedraunattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Russian ка́менные джу́нгли
- ка́менные джу́нгли (kámennyje džúngli)unattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Swedish betongdjungel
- betongdjungelunattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Thai ป่าคอนกรีต
- ป่าคอนกรีต (bpàa-kɔn-grìit)unattractive urban area due to lack of greenery
Cite this entry
concrete jungle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/concrete%20jungle
“concrete jungle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/concrete%20jungle. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “concrete jungle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/concrete%20jungle.
Source: concrete jungle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.