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

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

Critics see his investment in LBPost.com in a similar vein: however well-intentioned, ultimately locked in an economic quagmire.

From Los Angeles Times

Government statistics suggest the current system for approving new homes is in a quagmire.

From BBC

Related Words

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