mire

American  

[mahy^uhr] / maɪər /

noun

1. a tract or area of wet, swampy ground; bog; marsh.

2. ground of this kind, as wet, slimy soil of some depth or deep mud.

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verb (used with object)

mired, miring

1. to plunge and fix in mire; cause to stick fast in mire.

2. to involve; entangle.

3. to soil with mire; bespatter with mire.

verb (used without object)

mired, miring

1. to sink and stick in mire or mud.

mire British  

/ maɪə /

noun

1. a boggy or marshy area

2. mud, muck, or dirt

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verb

1. to sink or cause to sink in a mire

2. (tr) to make dirty or muddy

3. (tr) to involve, esp in difficulties

Other Word Forms

• mired adjective
• miriness noun
• miry adjective

Etymology

Origin of mire

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse mȳrr “bog”; cognate with Old English mēos moss

Example Sentences

After routing their bitter rivals 4-1 in November, they made the short trip up the Seven Sisters Road to inflict another humiliating defeat that pushed Tottenham deeper into the relegation mire.

From Barron's

Canada, who were mired in a cheating controversy earlier in the tournament, beat Great Britain 9-6 in a tense final to win Olympic men's curling gold for the fourth time on Saturday.

From Barron's

Increasingly though, it cannot – it is mired in a deep economic crisis.

From BBC

But the industry has been mired in crisis for decades, with slow‑moving reforms and growing vulnerability to climate change.

From Barron's

Yet U.S. officials are again mired in discussions about nuclear enrichment, stockpiled uranium and regional consortia.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bog down
• embroil
• enmesh
• ensnare
• entangle
• flounder
• implicate
• involve
• stick
• tangle
• trap