noun
quagmire
KWAG-meye-uh
Quagmire (noun) means an area of soft, wet, boggy ground that traps anything that steps into it. Example: “The trail turned into a quagmire after days of rain.”
noun
1
An area of soft, wet, boggy ground that traps anything that steps into it.
"The trail turned into a quagmire after days of rain."
2
A complicated, difficult situation that is hard to escape from.
"The company found itself in a legal quagmire after the botched merger."
"The war dragged on and became a political quagmire for the government."
How to use quagmire
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA literal muddy bog, or — much more commonly today — a messy, hard-to-escape situation.
Common pairings
a legal quagmire
sink into a quagmire
a political quagmire
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Word forms
- Plural
- quagmires
- Third person singular
- quagmires
- Past tense
- quagmired
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The trail turned into a _____ after days of rain.
Etymology
Formed from "quag" (a bog or marsh) plus "mire" (wet, muddy ground), first recorded in the late 1500s; the figurative "difficult situation" meaning followed roughly two centuries later.
Class of 1500
quagmire joined the language around 1500.
See the full Class of 1500 →
Related words
Rhymes for quagmire
See all rhymes for quagmire →Frequently asked questions
What does “quagmire” mean?
The word “quagmire” means an area of soft, wet, boggy ground that traps anything that steps into it. In plain terms, a literal muddy bog, or — much more commonly today — a messy, hard-to-escape situation.
How do you pronounce “quagmire”?
“Quagmire” is pronounced KWAG-meye-uh (/ˈkwæɡ.maɪɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “quagmire” in a sentence?
Here is “quagmire” used in a sentence: “The trail turned into a quagmire after days of rain.”
What part of speech is “quagmire”?
“Quagmire” is a noun.
Where does the word “quagmire” come from?
The word “quagmire” dates back to around 1500. Formed from "quag" (a bog or marsh) plus "mire" (wet, muddy ground), first recorded in the late 1500s; the figurative "difficult situation" meaning followed roughly two centuries later.
How many meanings does “quagmire” have?
“Quagmire” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an area of soft, wet, boggy ground that traps anything that steps into it.
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