Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Quagmire
noun
/ KWAG-myr /
Medium
Meaning
A soft, boggy area of land that gives way underfoot; metaphorically, a difficult, precarious, or inextricable situation.
Origin / Etymology
quag (a boggy or marshy area) + mire (swamp, muddy ground)
Synonyms
Predicament
Morass
Imbroglio
Antonyms
Clarity
Stability
Solution
Example Sentence
"India's prolonged engagement in the Afghan peace process turned into a diplomatic quagmire as conflicting interests of regional powers made any durable settlement impossible to achieve."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Use in GS2 International Relations and GS3 Internal Security answers to describe intractable geopolitical or governance challenges. Stronger and more vivid than 'complicated situation' — effective in analysis-type Mains answers.
Relevant Subjects