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

However, the sector has been mired in a recession since the late 2010s, as the country’s exports faltered.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Their on-again, off-again relationship has been mired in cheating rumors, which are a central plot point in the TV show.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

And that’s where films like “They Will Kill You” and “Ready or Not 2” become mired by the ambition necessitated by the modern moviegoer.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Any attempt to explain what happened in Kent is still mired in uncertainty.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

If they tried to drive the pickup behind the rock, it would get mired in the sand.

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty