marsh

noun

ˈmärsh 

often attributive

: a tract of soft wet land usually characterized by monocotyledons (such as grasses or cattails)

Synonyms

• wetland
• swamp

Examples of marsh in a Sentence

a wide expanse of marsh

the marshes along the coast support a remarkable profusion of plants and animals

Recent Examples on the Web

The potential environmental hazards also bleed into other aspects of Everglades life, including a robust tourism industry where hikers walk trails and explore the marshes on airboats, said Floridians for Public Lands founder Jessica Namath, who attended the protest. —Makiya Seminera, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025

At the same time, Louisiana’s marshes are eroding, and its coastline is fraying. —Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025

Part of the iris family, this plant likes moist to average soil and is generally found in marshes, damp woods, and on stream banks and slopes in zones 4a-9b. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 June 2025

In Arkansas, larger concentrations of the gators tend to live in the state’s southeastern and the southwestern corners where there are large shallow water marshes and swamps. —Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mersh, from Old English merisc, mersc; akin to Middle Dutch mersch marsh, Old English mere sea, pool — more at marine

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing marsh

• marsh elder
• marsh gas
• marsh hawk
• marsh hen
• marsh mallow
• marsh marigold
• marsh pink
• salt marsh

Rhymes for marsh

• harsh

Kids Definition

marsh

noun

ˈmärsh 

: an area of soft wet land usually overgrown by grasses and sedges

marshy

ˈmär-shē

adjective

Biographical Definition

Marsh

biographical name

ˈmärsh 

Dame (Edith) Ngaio ˈnī-(ˌ)ō  1899–1982 New Zealand writer