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.

---

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

---

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

Their past three matches have all been against teams either mired in the relegation zone, in the cases of Wolves and Burnley, or trying desperately to stay out of it, such as Leeds.

From BBC

Both women, who had alternated from government to opposition for the best part of two decades, were suddenly mired in court cases.

From BBC

She remains mired by her lot in life as a woman, subject to Abraham’s growing desire to start a family.

From Salon

Beijing has also been financing railways in other Asian countries under its Belt and Road Initiative, which funds infrastructure projects globally, but a number of plans have been stalled or mired in controversy.

From Barron's

Already this year, his flagship billion-dollar free school meals programme has been mired in controversy over mass food poisonings.

From BBC

Related Words

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