SKIP TO CONTENT

smog

/smɑg/
/smɒg/
IPA guide

Other forms: smogs

What do you get when you combine "smoke" and "fog"? Smog! Smog is the thick haze or smoke that's caused by polluting substances in the air.

Generally, the more cars there are in a city, the more likely there is to be smog. There are other culprits for smog, though, including coal-burning factories, other chemical emissions from plants and mills, and nearby forest fires. If there's too much smog in a city, it can make it hard for people with asthma to breathe.Smog is a great example of a portmanteau, a word formed by combining two other words into one: it comes from smoke and fog.

Definitions of smog
  1. noun
    air pollution by a mixture of smoke and fog
    synonyms: smogginess
    see moresee less
    type of:
    air pollution
    pollution of the atmosphere
Pronunciation
US
/smɑg/
UK
/smɒg/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘smog'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family