Meanings
nounmiasma (plural miasmas or miasmata)
plural miasmas · plural miasmata
- A noxious atmosphere or emanation once thought to originate from swamps and waste, and to cause disease.
There was an earthy smell, as of some dry miasma, which came through the fouler air.
1897, Bram Stoker, “Jonathan Harker’s Journal”, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC, chapter XIX, page 276 - figurativelyA noxious atmosphere or influence, an ominous environment.
It was into this lossy compression miasma that aptX was born.
2020 September 15, Geoffrey Morrison, “aptX: Everything you need to know about the wireless Bluetooth enhancement”, in CNET1 more example
In 1883, the contract came up for renewal, the L.N.W.R. received it, and the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company was set aside. But there was a certain miasma of secrecy about the affair, so that many, especially in Ireland, looked for information and insisted on getting it.
1960 May 28, K. A. Murray, “Carlisle Pier, Dun Laoghaire”, in Railway Magazine, page 305
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekμίασμα“stain; pollution”
- Englishmiasma
First attested in 1665. From Ancient Greek μίασμα (míasma, “stain; pollution”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian изпарение, миазма
- изпарение (izparenie)noxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- миазма (miazma)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Catalan miasma
- miasmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Chinese Mandarin 瘴氣 /瘴气, 瘴氣 /瘴气
- 瘴氣 /瘴气 (zhàngqì)noxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- 瘴氣 /瘴气 (zhàngqì)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Czech těžké/jedovaté výpary, tíživá atmosféra
- těžké/jedovaté výparynoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- tíživá atmosféranoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Dutch miasma, miasme
- miasmanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miasmenoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- moerasdampnoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miasmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
- miasmenoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
- verpeste atmosfeernoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Finnish miasma, paha ilma
- miasmanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- paha ilmanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- myrkyllinen ilmapiirinoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
- pahaenteinen tunnelmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
French miasme, miasme
- miasmenoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miasmenoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
German Miasma
- Miasmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Greek μίασμα
- μίασμα (míasma)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Italian miasma, miasma
- miasmanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miasmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Japanese 瘴気, 毒素
- 瘴気 (shōki)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
- 毒素 (dokuso)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Korean 장기, 장독
- 장기 (janggi)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
- 장독 (jangdok)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Norwegian Bokmål miasme, miasme
- miasmenoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miasmenoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Polish wyziew, miazmat
- wyziewnoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miazmatnoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Portuguese miasma, miasma
- miasmanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miasmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Romanian miasmă
- miasmănoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Russian миа́зма, миа́зм
- миа́зма (miázma)noxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- миа́зм (miázm)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
- миа́зма (miázma)noxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Slovak miazma, nákazlivina
- miazmanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- nákazlivinanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miazmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Spanish miasma, miasma
- miasmanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miasmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Turkish miyasma, miyasma
- miyasmanoxious emanation that originates from swamps and causes disease
- miyasmanoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Vietnamese chướng khí
- chướng khínoxious atmosphere or influence; ominous environment
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with miasma
All rhymes →Sounds the same
my asthma
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
miasma. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miasma
MLA
“miasma.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miasma. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “miasma,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miasma.
Source: miasma on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.