Quagmire

A quagmire is a soft, waterlogged area of ground that yields underfoot, commonly found in peatlands, bogs, swamps, and floodplains. The combination of saturated soil, organic matter, and limited bearing strength can cause feet or tires to sink or become stuck, sometimes with little warning. Quagmires may look flat but can conceal unstable depth and suction.

Quagmires form where drainage is poor and water remains near the surface, allowing peat and other organic material to accumulate. The surface may support grasses, mosses, or reeds, but the subsurface remains soft and uneven. Weather, groundwater levels, and vegetation influence how such areas develop and persist.

In metaphorical use, quagmire denotes a difficult, precarious situation from which progress is hard, or an entanglement that is hard to resolve. The term is common in politics, administration, and journalism to describe complex bureaucratic or legal problems.

Etymology and safety: the word quagmire combines quag, meaning boggy ground, with mire, meaning swamp, with attestations in English dating to the 17th century. In practice, avoiding risk involves staying on firm ground where possible, using boards or planks, and moving cautiously to avoid deep sinking or entrapment.