quagmire

[ kwag-mahyuhr, kwog- ]
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noun
  1. an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread; a bog.

  2. a situation from which extrication is very difficult: a quagmire of financial indebtedness.

  1. anything soft or flabby.

Origin of quagmire

1
First recorded in 1570–80; quag + mire

Other words for quagmire

Other words from quagmire

  • quagmiry, adjective

Words Nearby quagmire

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How to use quagmire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for quagmire

quagmire

/ (ˈkwæɡˌmaɪə, ˈkwɒɡ-) /


noun
  1. a soft wet area of land that gives way under the feet; bog

  2. an awkward, complex, or embarrassing situation

Origin of quagmire

1
C16: from quag + mire

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012