mired

American  

[mahy^uhrd] / maɪərd /

adjective

1. trapped in mud, muck, or slime.

   The concern now was how to free their mired fire engine and water tanker.

2. entangled or stuck.

   Bond yields have been climbing, but they still remain mired at historically low levels.

3. soiled with mud, muck, or slime.

   He looked down at his mired kaftan, speckled with dirt, and tried to brush it clean.

4. involved or entrapped in trouble or difficulty.

   Only some of our colleagues have offended, it is true; but all of us are mired.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of mire.

Other Word Forms

• unmired
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mired

mire ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

When you're mired in something, you're stuck or entangled in it. You can't get out. Sometimes, being mired means to be literally trapped in the mire, which is like a swamp or muck. But usually when people are mired, it's in something less icky but equally hard to get out of. You could be mired in six hours of homework. Congress could be mired in discussions that are going nowhere. A bad relationship could be mired in arguments. When you're mired, it feels like you're sinking in quicksand.

Example Sentences

Their Pastef party comfortably won the 2024 elections on a promise of a profound political shake-up, vowing to fight corruption and inheriting an economy mired in debt.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

Too much of the album is mired in the slog of repetitive beats, and the best moments come when the production shifts.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

It’s been mired with regulatory hurdles and other challenges for years.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Where the ship goes now, and when, remains mired in uncertainty.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Is it necessary to spell out that societies mired in fratricidal chaos are vulnerable to conquest?

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann