miasma.

1. A thick or oppressive surrounding atmosphere, often of foul air or lingering unease.

2. Air historically believed to transmit disease through poisonous emanations.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• miasma of decay
• foul miasma

On the page

A foul miasma hung above the flooded cellar.

A miasma of distrust followed every conversation in the house.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.