: thick and deep mud
The troops marched onward through the muck and the mire.
—often used figurativelystuck in the mire of cynicism
The economy is sinking deeper into the mire. [=the economy is bad and getting worse]
His name/reputation has been dragged through the mire. [=has been unfairly damaged or ruined]
They found themselves in a mire of debt. [=they could not get out of debt]
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“Mire.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/mire. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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