quackish

9.3

Acting like a doctor when you are not

adjective
/ˈkwækɪʃ/

: charlatanesco

The magazine warned its readers to be cautious of quackish medical advice found online.

Examples

Many people believe in quackish remedies that have no scientific basis.
Men trying to prove that the entities of science and medicine should be left separate, and that the two should not flirt with each other: "It is certain that this pretense of physicians threatens to turn medicine from its primordial and proper function of healing and soothing our ills toward a quackish assumption of the dignity of science."

Blog text (13)
This doesn't mean that quacks are any less quackish or that the more science-based doctors are wrong about them, but yes, it has a huge feedback influence on the general public's attitudes towards each, and the more mainstream docs get angry because they perceive actual harms resulting from it.

Blog text (31)
Despite his quackish claims of expertise, he could not actually provide any effective treatment.

Synonyms

all hat and no cattle

vsquackish

Offensive

1 9.9

Acting important but having no real skill or success

applies to falsely claimed professional skills, particularly in medical practice, not mere showiness

pseudointellectual

vsquackish

Offensive

1 8.6

Pretending to know a lot without real understanding

refers to claiming professional practical skill, often in medicine, rather than posing as intellectual

quacky

vsquackish

9.3

Not based on science and often about fake medical treatments

is about pretending professional medical skill rather than general unscientific claims

sciolistic

vsquackish

Offensive

9.9

A person who knows only a little about a subject but acts like they know a lot

focuses on falsely claiming professional skill, especially in medicine, not general shallow knowing

dilettantish

vsquackish

9.9

Showing little skill in an art like painting

implies pretending professional competence, especially in medicine, rather than harmless amateurism

Antonyms

qualified

304 3.0

Having the skills and experience needed for a job

genuine

156 3.2

Truly felt and not fake, for example a smile or apology

How Credible

genuine

156 3.2

credible

267 4.2

questionable

176 3.9

quackish

9.3

fraudulent

90 6.5

Surface Forms

quackish positive

Morphology

quackish = quack (transparent) = quack + ish

The adjective is formed from the noun 'quack' with the productive suffix '-ish' meaning 'having the qualities of', so the meaning is directly inferable.

Etymology

Quackish comes from quack, a name for a fake doctor that comes from quacksalver, a person who sold fake medicine in a noisy way, and the word also reminds people of a duck's 'quack' to make it easy to remember. So, quackish means 'pretending to have medical skill but not really having it'.