quagmire — a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot; marsh
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot; marsh
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈkwæɡmaɪər/
Example Sentences
- My diet became a quagmire when I discovered pizza delivery at 2 AM.
- The peace negotiations turned into a diplomatic quagmire.
- Trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions is a mental quagmire.
quagmire
NOUN[/ˈkwæɡmaɪər/]
a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot; marsh
The hiker sinks knee-deep into a muddy quagmire and can't pull free.
Through the quagmire we tire, but we march toward the fire!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Dutch 'quagmire' or German 'Quagmire', combining 'quag' (from Middle English/Dutch meaning boggy or marshy ground) with 'mire' (swampy or muddy ground). The word entered English in the 16th century from Low German or Dutch sources.
Breakdown
quag (boggy ground, from Old English 'cwacian' meaning to shake or quiver) + mire (swamp/mud, from Old English 'myre') = quagmire (a marshy bog that trembles underfoot)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My diet became a quagmire when I discovered pizza delivery at 2 AM.”
“The peace negotiations turned into a diplomatic quagmire.”
“Trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions is a mental quagmire.”
“The environmental cleanup project became a bureaucratic quagmire.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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