mire
C1Literary/Formal
Definition
Meaning
An area of soft, wet, muddy ground; a bog or swamp.
A situation or state of difficulty, distress, or embarrassment from which it is hard to extricate oneself.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word functions both as a noun (the physical ground/state) and a verb (the act of sinking into or involving someone/something in such a state). Its physical meaning is less common in everyday conversation than its metaphorical use for difficult situations.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The verb usage 'to mire something down' (to cause to get stuck) is slightly more common in American administrative/governmental contexts.
Connotations
In both variants, it carries a strong negative connotation of being stuck, helpless, and dirty (literally or figuratively).
Frequency
Low frequency in casual speech in both regions. More likely found in news, political commentary, and literary works.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[V] mire (in something)[VN] mire something/someone (in something)[V-ADJ] mire something downVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “drag someone's name through the mire (to publicly disgrace someone)”
- “in the mire (in a state of difficulty or disrepute)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The merger became mired in regulatory bureaucracy and delays.
Academic
The historian argued that the peace talks were mired in mutual distrust from the outset.
Everyday
After the heavy rain, the path was just a mire of mud.
Technical
The vehicle's tracks became completely mired in the saturated clay soil.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The negotiations have been mired in procedural disputes for weeks.
- The lorry got hopelessly mired just outside the village.
American English
- The bill is mired down in congressional committee.
- Our SUV got mired in the clay after the storm.
adjective
British English
- The mire-covered boots were left at the door.
- A mire-ridden landscape stretched before them.
American English
- They traversed the mire-filled ditch with difficulty.
- He described a mire-encrusted path.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The car was stuck in the deep mire.
- They walked carefully to avoid the mire.
- The peace process has become mired in endless arguments.
- The company found itself in a legal mire after the scandal.
- Her reputation was dragged through the mire by the false allegations.
- Attempts at reform are continually mired by bureaucratic inertia.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TIRE stuck in MIRE. A car with a flat TIRE is helplessly stuck in the deep MIRE.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIFFICULTIES ARE IMPEDIMENTS TO MOVEMENT / A BAD SITUATION IS A DIRTY, STICKY PLACE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'мир' (world/peace).
- The verb 'to mire' is closer to 'увязать (в чём-либо)' or 'запутать', not 'грязь' (dirt).
- Distinguish from 'swamp' (болото) – 'mire' emphasizes stickiness and entrapment.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He mired the problem.' (The problem cannot be mired; a person or process can be mired IN a problem).
- Confusing spelling: 'mier' or 'myre' instead of 'mire'.
- Using it as a common synonym for 'mud' without the connotation of entrapment.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'mire' CORRECTLY in a metaphorical sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not common in everyday casual conversation. It is more frequently used in formal writing, journalism (especially political), and literary contexts.
All refer to wet ground. A 'swamp' is forested. A 'bog' is acidic and peat-filled. 'Mire' often emphasizes the soft, sinking, sticky quality and is the most common for metaphorical use meaning a difficult situation.
Yes. As a verb, it means 'to cause to become stuck in mud' or, more commonly, 'to involve someone or something in a difficult situation' (e.g., 'The talks are mired in disagreement').
Yes. A 'quagmire' is a soft, boggy area of land ('quag' + 'mire'). It is an even stronger synonym for a problematic situation, implying a complex, inescapable trap.