snake pit
Americannoun
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a mental hospital marked by squalor and inhumane or indifferent care for the patients.
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an intensely chaotic or disagreeable place or situation.
Etymology
Origin of snake pit
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
Ferguson workers have dubbed it the "snake pit" because of the amount of pipework that had to be fitted inside.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
It’s a buddy adventure that takes the duo from one tight spot to another, including a gladiator-style battle royal and a cavernous snake pit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
“They’re in a snake pit, and they’ve got to be very careful.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2025
“President Trump sent me into that snake pit at the United Nations for a reason,” Craft said.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 13, 2022
It was hard enough for him to come out of total isolation at Garland without having to be dropped into the snake pit that was middle school.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
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.
