quagmire

[ kwag-mahyuhr, kwog- ]

noun

1. an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread; a bog.
2. a situation from which extrication is very difficult:

   a quagmire of financial indebtedness.

   Synonyms: jam, scrape, quandary, dilemma, predicament

3. anything soft or flabby.

quagmire

/ ˈkwæɡˌmaɪə; ˈkwɒɡ- /

noun

1. a soft wet area of land that gives way under the feet; bog
2. an awkward, complex, or embarrassing situation

Other Words From

• quagmiry adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quagmire¹

First recorded in 1570–80; quag + mire

Word History and Origins

Origin of quagmire¹

C16: from quag + mire

Example Sentences

But this measure is a Byzantine quagmire of foggy muddle.

From Los Angeles Times

Barack Obama’s reputation suffered when he refused to back up his own “red line” against Syrian use of chemical weapons in 2013, but he ultimately reasoned his promise to avoid another Middle East quagmire mattered more than his own temporary loss of prestige.

From Los Angeles Times

After almost a year of war Gaza has become a quagmire.

From BBC

Similarly, many policy analysts predict that any mass deportation plan attempted by a second Trump administration would be shambolic and likely stuck in a legal and logistical quagmire.

From Salon

Democrats, having spent three weeks in a quagmire of deep-summer bickering about whether Joe Biden should step aside, are now experiencing a cool breeze of optimism.

From Slate

Related Words

• dilemma
• entanglement
• imbroglio
• impasse
• morass
• predicament
• quandary