smog

noun

ˈsmäg

ˈsmȯg

Synonyms of smog next

: a fog made heavier and darker by smoke and chemical fumes

also : a photochemical haze caused by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation on atmosphere polluted with hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen especially from automobile exhaust

smogless

ˈsmä-gləs

ˈsmȯ-

adjective

Examples of smog in a Sentence

the city's smog was once so bad that darkness often prevailed, even at noon

Recent Examples on the Web The smog, a dangerous cocktail of particulate matter and noxious gasses, results from a series of unfortunate events that happen at the start of winter. —

WIRED, 13 Nov. 2023 Lastly, a vehicle with a missing cat converter will not pass a smog check. —

Katherine Keeler, Car and Driver, 30 July 2023 Twentieth century smog shrouded them, giving them a filthy aura. —

Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023 Part of the blame for Delhi’s winter smog also lies with an atmospheric phenomenon called inversion. —

WIRED, 13 Nov. 2023 The city’s residents are used to a blanket of smog that blots out the sky and heralds the arrival of the Hindu festival of Diwali. —

Vibhuti Agarwal, WSJ, 8 Nov. 2023 Blast furnaces cranked out profits, steel coils and thick smog. —

Chris Isidore, CNN, 19 Aug. 2023 But many scientists say that one culprit is particularly to blame for the Delhi smog: farmers burning rice stubble in Punjab, an agrarian state to the northwest. —

Hari Kumar, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2023 Their evidence comes from a constant fallout of tiny smog particles from the atmosphere, which blanket the surface in a layer of methane ice. —

Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

smoke + fog

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of smog was in 1880

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Smog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smog. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

smog

noun

ˈsmäg

also ˈsmȯg

: a thick haze caused by the action of sunlight on air polluted especially by smoke and automobile exhaust fumes

Etymology

from smoke and fog

Medical Definition

smog

noun

ˈsmäg also ˈsmȯg

: a fog made heavier and darker by smoke and chemical fumes

also : a photochemical haze caused by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation on atmosphere polluted with hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen especially from automobile exhaust