OLD WIVES' TALES Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

old wives' tales

noun

plural of old wives' tale

as in errors

a false idea or belief the belief that going outside with wet hair will cause you to catch cold is just an old wives' tale

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for old wives' tales

Noun

By using a mathematical technique to reduce the precision of some data, the researchers brought that figure down to 51 watts without compromising the system’s ability to detect dangerous computational errors.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
According to Bergh, part of the issue is that many state agencies are struggling with staffing pressures and paperwork backlogs, especially amid efforts to prevent errors on food aid applications and avoid new federal penalties.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of errors

Noun

The statues of Polyphemus, Scylla and Charybdis, and other figures from The Odyssey discovered in Tiberius’s villa attest to the area’s millennia-long ties to myths and legends.

— Laura Itzkowitz, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
During their 40-minute conversation, McConaughey and Fauci discussed COVID-19 myths and vaccines.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of myths

Noun

The 29-year-old Christian Faith Madison died after walking into traffic, with her family arguing that the OpenAI chatbot had fueled her religious delusions during their extensive interactions, pushing her over the edge by romanticizing death.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 23 July 2026
Symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, extreme depression, insomnia, paranoia and rapid mood swings.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 20 July 2026

Definition of delusions

Noun

Neither of them, however, had any illusions about his prospects.

— Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Because only in intense, rarefied states will our illusions finally drop away, like redundant scaffolding, freeing us to perceive life on a more visceral level.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026

Definition of illusions

Noun

Dafoe’s Thomas Wake is the film’s Proteus figure, a salty old lighthouse keeper who speaks like someone out of ancient myth, dispensing prophecies and superstitions.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026
These are the words of Argentina President Javier Milei who was busy explaining his superstitions to a local radio show after watching his nation make the World Cup final.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Definition of superstitions

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Browse Nearby Words

old wives' tale

old wives' tales

old-world

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“Old wives' tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20wives%27%20tales. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of old wives' tales

noun

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