mired

Mired is the past participle of the verb mire and is used as both an adjective and a verb. Literally, something that is mired is stuck in mud or boggy ground; a car can be mired in mud after a heavy rain. More broadly, mired describes a state of being entangled or hindered by difficult conditions.

Metaphorically, the term is common in discussions of politics, business, and policy. A project, investigation, or reputation may be described as mired in controversy, red tape, or inefficiency, signaling persistent obstacles and slow progress. As a verb, mire means to cause to become stuck or entangled: “the plan was mired in bureaucracy” or “the company was mired in legal disputes.”

Etymology: The word derives from the noun mire, meaning bog or swamp, which comes from Old English and related Germanic roots. The usage preserves the sense of physical entanglement and translates readily to metaphorical domains.