miasma
Poisonous air hanging
Miasma is a noxious atmosphere or influence.
The word originally referred to bad air thought to cause disease—the foul smell of swamps and rotting matter before germ theory explained infection.
Now it's mostly figurative: a miasma of corruption hung over the administration, the miasma of despair.
The plural is miasmas or miasmata.
Gaseous form of liquid
- mistFine airborne moisture
- fogLow-lying cloud cover
- hazeMurky atmospheric suspension
- fumesAirborne chemical irritants
exhalation · emanation · effluvium · cloud · murk · pall · reek · stench
Deadly epidemic disease
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- pestilenceFatal epidemic disease
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
cholera · typhoid · malaria · fever · sickness · affliction · pathogen · virulent
Organic breakdown process
- putrefactionBacterial breakdown of tissue
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- festeringBecoming infected, decaying
spoilage · carrion · offal · filth · stagnant · swamp · marsh · bog
Dishonest abuse of power
- toxicityCapacity to cause harm
- negativityDisposition toward pessimism
- influencePower to affect others
- pervasivePresent throughout, inescapable
spreading · poisonous · atmosphere · environment · culture · moral decay · taint · contamination
vapor
Gaseous form of liquid
fumes · exhalation · emanation · effluvium · cloud · murk · pall · reek · stench · fetor
plague
Deadly epidemic disease
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- pestilenceFatal epidemic disease
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
infection · cholera · typhoid · malaria · fever · sickness · affliction · pathogen · virulent · pestilential
rot
Organic breakdown process
- putrefactionBacterial breakdown of tissue
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
festering · spoilage · carrion · offal · filth · stagnant · swamp · marsh · bog · cesspool
corruption
Dishonest abuse of power
- toxicityCapacity to cause harm
- negativityDisposition toward pessimism
- influencePower to affect others
pervasive · spreading · poisonous · atmosphere · environment · culture · moral decay · taint · contamination · dysfunction
ominous
Suggesting something bad approaches
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- menaceSource of potential harm
gloom · darkness · shadow · lurking · creeping · insidious · malevolent · baleful · oppression · unease
- gasesgas, air, oxygen, helium, nitrogen
- filthdirt, grime, dirty, filthy, muck
- Greek wordsalpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon
- smellssmell, aroma, scent, fragrance, perfume
- Stinksbody odor, skunk, rotten eggs, sewage, garbage smell
- ancient medicinephysicians, healers, Hippocratic Oath, Hippocratic oath, four humors
miasmaclarity
State of being understandable
radiance · vitality · salubrity · wholesomeness · salubriousness