noun

bog

noun

An area of soft, wet, spongy ground formed from decayed plant matter, especially moss.

"Their boots sank into the bog with every step."

"Peat is harvested from bogs and dried for fuel."

British informal: a toilet.

"He nipped off to the bog before the meeting started."

verb

To become stuck or unable to make progress, often in the phrase "bog down."

"The negotiations bogged down over minor details."

"The truck got bogged in the mud after the storm."

How to Use Bog

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWet, soft, marshy ground — or, as a verb, to get stuck and unable to move forward.

When to use it

The "toilet" sense is informal British slang.

Common pairings

bogged down peat bog sink into a bog

Word Forms

bogger comparative, bogged past tense, bogged past tense, bogged past tense, bogged past tense, bogs plural, bogs plural, bogs singular, bogs singular, bogs singular, bogs singular, boggest superlative

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Their boots sank into the _____ with every step.

Etymology

From Irish and Scottish Gaelic bogach, "soft, boggy ground," ultimately from a Celtic root meaning "soft."

Synonyms

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morass. See swamp

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