miasmal

9.9

Full of a thick, unhealthy mist that smells bad

adjective
/maɪˈæzməl/

: miasmático

The explorers struggled to breathe in the miasmal swamps, where a thick fog clung to everything.

Examples

He described the cave as damp and miasmal, with an oppressive air that made it hard to stay long.
An eerie silence hung over the miasmal marsh at dawn, broken only by the occasional croak of a frog.
The miasmal air made it difficult to breathe.
He felt sick after walking through the miasmal fog.
The city was shrouded in miasmal fog that made it difficult to breathe.
Old buildings in the abandoned neighborhood emitted a miasmal odor that hinted at their decay.
As we entered the marsh, the miasmal vapors enveloped us, making the air feel heavy and unclean.

Synonyms

miasmic

vsmiasmal

1 9.9

Full of a strong bad smell that makes the air feel unhealthy

describes denser noxious vaporous atmosphere often fetid

miasmatic

vsmiasmal

9.9

Smelling bad and making the air feel heavy and unhealthy

focuses on actual dense noxious vapor rather than figurative use

fumy

vsmiasmal

Archaic

9.3

Containing smoke or strong fumes that make breathing hard

refers to a harmful fetid mist rather than just smoky air

ill-scented

vsmiasmal

6.3

Having a strong, unpleasant smell

refers to a thick noxious vaporous atmosphere not only smell

How Noxious

pestilential

Literature

1 9.9

miasmal

9.9

fetid

8 7.9

foul

24 3.0

musty

29 3.9

Surface Forms

miasmal positive

Morphology

miasmal = miasma (semi-transparent) = miasma + al

The adjective is formed regularly from the noun 'miasma' with '-al', but the base word is specialized and not highly familiar to many learners.

Etymology

Miasmal comes from the Greek word miasma, which means 'pollution' or 'stain' and was used for the old idea of poisonous air. So a miasmal place is like a sick, unhealthy fog or mist that feels dangerous or hard to breathe.