1. relating to or resembling miasma; noxious or foul-smelling, especially referring to vapors believed to cause disease
Usage: historical/medical context; often used in historical discussions of disease theory before germ theory
2. oppressive, gloomy, or unwholesome in atmosphere or character
Usage: figurative use

Examples

• Nineteenth-century doctors attributed disease to miasmal vapors rising from swamps.
• The miasmal air of the crowded tenement was thought to spread illness.
• A miasmal fog hung over the industrial city, obscuring the streets.
• The scandal created a miasmal atmosphere of distrust in the organization.
• Medieval physicians believed miasmal exhalations caused the plague.
• The miasmal conditions in the prison led to widespread sickness among inmates.