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.
“They’re in a snake pit, and they’ve got to be very careful.”
From MarketWatch • Oct. 15, 2025
The pitch became a snake pit, there was tension between the teams after the Saturday evening handbags and the Lord's atmosphere was sizzling.
From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025
That thrilled Largent, who noted that Mile High Stadium in Denver was “a snake pit to play in” because of their rabid fans.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 18, 2023
That is a subjective statement — maybe newer, younger fans cherish nothing more than seeing whether a fire-breathing reliever can harness his nerves after parachuting into a snake pit.
From Washington Post • Oct. 7, 2021
We hurry into the tunnel and not a second too soon—the bridge gives way into the snake pit.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
