old wives' tale

noun

: an often traditional belief that is not based on fact : superstition

Synonyms

• delusion
• error
• fallacy
• falsehood
• falsity
• hallucination
• illusion
• misbelief
• misconception
• myth
• untruth

Examples of old wives' tale in a Sentence

Frogs won't give you warts. That's just an old wives' tale.

the old wives' tale about the full moon causing people to act crazy

Recent Examples on the Web

An old wives' tale says heartburn during pregnancy means your unborn baby has a full head of hair, but many parents with bald babies would strongly disagree. —Tiffany Eve Lawrence, Parents, 3 May 2024

That's why there's no shortage of old wives' tales surrounding the induction of labor—and no end to parents-to-be looking for signs that their little one will arrive soon. —Melissa Mills, Parents, 19 Dec. 2023

The idea that breast milk is a cure-all might seem like an old wives' tale, but there's scientific research behind the results Williams is seeing: fresh breast milk has been proven to help with atopic eczema, diaper rash, and a collection of other maladies. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2023

For centuries, women have relied on this old wives' tale to get shiny, irresistibly touchable hair. —Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 17 June 2013

According to old wives' tales, these pregnancy symptoms may suggest your baby will be assigned male at birth. —Christin Perry, Parents, 25 July 2023

Well, the Germans like a touch of oversteer, and that's no old wives' tale. —Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 Mar. 2023

An old wives' tale that keeping raw, unpeeled onions out will keep your family safe from illnesses such as the flu is making the rounds on Facebook. —Katie Landeck, USA TODAY, 16 June 2020

The myth, which is partly based on an old wives' tale that claims that every year on the vernal and autumnal equinox, eggs are able to balance on their ends, appears to have surfaced annually since at least 2012. —NBC News, 11 Feb. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for old wives' tale

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids Definition

old wives' tale

noun

: a belief that is not based on fact : superstition