snake oil
Americannoun
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any of various liquid concoctions of questionable medical value sold as an all-purpose curative, especially by traveling hucksters.
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Slang. deceptive talk or actions; hooey; bunkum.
The governor promised to lower taxes, but it was the same old snake oil.
Other Word Forms
- snake-oil adjective
Etymology
Origin of snake oil
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But even though Goop once sold a $30 gem-infused “psychic vampire repellent” aromatherapy spray, Paltrow’s not a snake oil saleswoman — at least to me.
From Salon • Dec. 22, 2025
The movie works only because it's ruthless in its portrayal of the ego delusion that fuels so much of Silicon Valley's C-suites, as the tech industry enters its snake oil phase.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025
But it’s not like personalized medicine is astrology or snake oil.
From Scientific American • Sep. 28, 2023
No medical board needed the FDA to tell it that doctors prescribing this modern snake oil deserved scrutiny.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2023
Two weeks after her burial, Rose’s husband arrived loaded with ingots of gold for the children, two-dollar pieces for the women and snake oil for the men.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
