Mire

A mire primarily refers to a situation or environment characterized by difficult, sticky, or unpleasant conditions that hinder progress. It can describe literal muddy or boggy ground, making movement difficult, or it can represent figurative entanglements, complex situations, or moral and emotional predicaments. A mire often suggests a state of being trapped or stuck, physically or metaphorically, from which extrication is challenging. It can also imply a degree of obscurity or ambiguity, where the path forward is unclear or uncertain. The word emphasizes the difficulty of navigating or escaping a particular situation.

Mire meaning with examples

• After the heavy rain, the construction site was transformed into a mire of thick, clinging mud, halting all work for days. Workers struggled to even walk in the mud, making the job more difficult to finish. The mire proved to be a major setback for the project's timeline.
• The politician found himself in a political mire, with accusations of corruption and scandal swirling around him. Public trust had plummeted and escaping this political mire proved an uphill battle. His career was threatened by the scandal's depth and breadth.
• She felt trapped in a mire of self-doubt and anxiety, struggling to make decisions and move forward with her life. The mire made her unable to sleep or relax and she sought therapy to escape this inner mire and start living life again.
• The negotiations between the two nations became bogged down in a mire of conflicting demands and unresolved disputes, prolonging the peace process. The two sides could not come to an agreement, the mire making any progress impossible.