noun / verb
mire
MY-ur/ˈmaɪər/
Deep mud that traps what enters it.
The boot sinks deeply into the sticky mire.
Etymology
Mire comes from a Scandinavian word such as Old Norse myrr, “bog, swamp.” The image of being stuck in deep mud carries into the figurative sense of becoming entangled in difficulties.
In context
His Redcoats struggled through the deep mire, all while being harassed by French pickets
More examples
- She loses a boot while wading through the mire.
- The truck is mired in mud up to its axles.
- Weeks of delays leave the project mired in paperwork.
Forms
mire · mires · mired · miring
Similar words
- mud
- A broader term that does not imply getting stuck.
- quagmire
- Emphasizes unstable, boggy ground rather than the mud itself.