blight
n.something that spoils or damages a place or situation, making it look or feel much worse. It is often used to describe ugly buildings in a city or a disease that kills plants.
n.a deleterious influence or condition that causes decay, stagnation, or ruin. Often refers metaphorically to urban decay or literally to botanical diseases that cause rapid tissue death.
“The abandoned factory is a blight on the neighborhood.”
“Local residents complained that the graffiti and broken windows were a blight on the historic district.”
“The potato blight of the 1840s decimated crops across Ireland, leading to a catastrophic famine and permanent shifts in the country's demographic landscape.”
Typically used in the singular when referring to a specific eyesore or social problem ('a blight on').
“Too many shops are blighting too many communities.”