Definition
乌烟瘴气 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'black smoke and miasma', but is used figuratively to describe a chaotic, corrupt, or unhealthy atmosphere—like a place filled with gossip, conflict, or shady dealings. You'll hear it when a situation is a complete mess or when the social environment is toxic and disorderly. It always carries a negative connotation.
idiom
an atmosphere of chaoscorruptionor unhealthy influencesa terrible mess
Examples
- 乌烟瘴气，。Nà ge gōngsī bèi gǎo de wū yān zhàng qì, méiyǒu rén néng ānxīn gōngzuò.That company has been turned into a chaotic mess; no one can work in peace.
- ，乌烟瘴气，。Zìcóng tā lái le yǐhòu, zhěng gè bùmén wū yān zhàng qì, tóngshì zhī jiān hùxiāng cāiyí.Ever since he arrived, the whole department has been full of conflict, with colleagues suspicious of each other.
- 乌烟瘴气，。Wǎngluò shàng de yáoyán ràng pínglùn qū wū yān zhàng qì, wǒmen xūyào qīnglǐ yíxià.The rumors online made the comment section a toxic chaos; we need to clean it up.
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