quagmire
Word family nounquagmireadjectivequagmiry
quag·mire /ˈkwæɡmaɪə, ˈkwɒɡ- $ ˈkwæɡmaɪr/ noun [countableC usually singular] 1 WETan area of soft wet muddy ground 沼泽地;泥潭,泥泞地 In the rainy season the roads become a quagmire. 在雨季,道路变得一片泥泞。
2 COMPLICATEDa difficult or complicated situation 困难[复杂]的局势,困境 The Balkan situation became a political and military quagmire. 巴尔干半岛局势成了政治和军事上的一大难题。
Origin quagmire (1500-1600) quag “soft wet ground” ((16-20 centuries)) (perhaps from quag “to shake” ((17-19 centuries))) + mire