1.
den; lair; hideout; nest
A hidden place where criminals, wrongdoers, or undesirable things gather and base themselves. Almost always used with a negative tone.
そこは犯罪の巣窟だ。
That place is a den of crime.
その古いビルは悪人たちの巣窟になっていた。
The old building had become a hideout for criminals.
匿名の掲示板が、悪意ある書き込みの巣窟と化している。
Anonymous message boards have turned into a nest of malicious posts.
Refers to a base or gathering place for criminals, villains, or other undesirable people and things. Carries a strongly negative tone and is often used figuratively.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 犯罪の巣窟: a den of crime
- 悪の巣窟: a nest of evil
- 巣窟と化す: to turn into a hotbed (of something)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 温床: hotbed; breeding ground — for conditions that foster something bad, more abstract
- アジト: hideout — a secret base, especially of activists or criminals (loanword)